He Made You Perfect
by leftrightbrain
Summary: After suffering a tragedy, Kurt is sent against his will to a Christian summer camp with an anti-gay agenda. As he struggles to cope, he is transfixed by a pair of beautiful, golden eyes. Can he and Blaine help each other make it through, and will they find love in a hopeless place? Warning: Less than favorable treatment of organized religion.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Thanks for clicking! I worked very hard on this story, so if the premise interests you at all, please hang in there for a few chapters. It starts off a little slowly. I have the whole thing mostly written out already, so I'll be updating frequently. There's no smut to be found here, but if you like that sort of thing I invite you to check out my other stories. :)**

Grass.

More grass.

Grassy fields.

Lawns covered in grass.

Yay, a hill!

Hill's over, more grass.

A dingy, ranch-style house with an attached garage and an older-model car out front.

Yet more grass.

Kurt stared blankly out the window, his forehead resting on the glass. He adjusted his earbuds and sighed. He'd been on the bus for two hours already, and they still had far to go. He was frustrated with the dull, uninteresting landscape. _Damnit, Ohio, why can't you give me something interesting to look at? Anything at all..._It really wasn't all that different from home...

Kurt shuddered, pressing his fingers against his eyes as he scolded himself. Lima wasn't home anymore. Not that his aunt's house in Lancaster looked any different, either. It wouldn't matter if he went back to Lima or moved to Finland. Home wasn't really home without his father there.

The ache in his chest was still so fresh, so raw. It had only been six weeks since he went to live with his aunt and uncle in Lancaster. Only six weeks and six days since his world was turned upside down. Only six weeks and four days since anything and everything ceased to matter anymore. For now, coping meant pushing his pain down deeper and deeper until he achieved numbness. But when he got to that state it was hard to feel anything at all. No other emotion could compare to his sense of loss. He couldn't even bring himself to feel real anger towards his aunt and uncle for putting him on this bus.

They were acting out of love, or so they thought. Love and fear, discomfort and concern. They weren't trying to punish him, and they certainly weren't trying to make the worst time in his life even more excruciating. They did seem to think there was something terribly wrong with him, though. Like there could be anything else wrong with him that even compared to having his heart torn in half. His pulse quickened just slightly as his buried anger pushed to the forefront. He took a deep breath and tamped it back down. Never mind that, Kurt, he thought to himself. Being angry wasn't going to make the week go by any faster.

Being angry also couldn't bring his father back. Anger couldn't stop on heart disease that quietly built up over the course of years to strike randomly and suddenly. Burt had been felled in an instant, leaving his son completely and utterly alone in the summer before his Junior year of high school.

Kurt rubbed his eyes harder, grinding the tears away and sniffling. It was still hard to think about his father, but it also helped to give him the strength he knew he would need. Burt would have wanted him to respect his aunt, Burt's sister, and he truly was grateful they were taking him in. He was determined to honor his father's memory. Even if it was very, very difficult lately.

Kurt had already been in a position to bite holes in his tongue many times during the conversations that went on in his aunt's home, and when they dragged him to church every Sunday.

His aunt missed Burt too. She kept clinging to Kurt and crying, telling him that his father would be waiting for him in heaven. That Burt was finally happy, with Elizabeth again, and that one day they would be together as a family again. The way she went on and on about it kind of made it sound like she was looking forward to death herself, that heaven was infinitely superior to this life so why not hurry up and get there?

Kurt cried with her when she said these things, never telling her how much it hurt to hear them, when he was certain beyond a shadow of a doubt that none of what she said would come to pass. She probably thought it was comforting and that he was crying tears of relief. She kept telling him that the camp would help him, that it would reinforce his faith. He wasn't about to upset her by explaining how wrong she was about his "faith".

He expected to have to bottle up a lot of rational thought in the week to come. But that wasn't the worst part. Nobody had outright said it, but he had a sneaking suspicion that his aunt and uncle had more of an agenda in sending him to the camp than just reinforcing (or enforcing) faith. He knew they disapproved of his wardrobe, the way he walked, talked, and fixed his hair. He remembered his aunt elbowing him in the ribs during a recent church service where the pastor had been going on and on about Christian marriage and the proper role of men and women in the household. There had been other little comments and hints, even though Kurt had made a point of... well, not going back in the closet, exactly, but not doing anything that they would perceive as being "in their face." He just didn't want to rock the boat.

He had heard about Christian "ex-gay therapy" for teenagers, and the whole idea made him sick. If his suspicions proved correct, he would have to do a lot of hiding and a lot more holding back from speaking his mind this week. Kurt had always known that he was different, and people had been making those kinds of assumptions about him for as long as he could remember. He usually didn't mind standing out from the crowd, at least when it didn't result in slushies and being slammed into lockers. On the other hand, he was going to attract a lot of attention at this camp. Maybe even physical violence.

Kurt shook his head. Speculating about the worst wasn't going to help things at all. He leaned against the glass and stared out of the window once more, hoping to find something to distract him. Something, anything. He turned the volume up on his ipod, the jarring beat breaking him out of his depressing reverie. Not that he wanted the time to pass more quickly, exactly. The bus sped down the highway, its eventual destination looming in Kurt's mind like an execution.

Stop being over-dramatic, he chastised himself, rolling his eyes. Dreading his destination wasn't going to help anything. He decided to return to numbness. He just had to endure it, both the bus ride and the coming week.

Nothing could change who he was. Camp Reflection was no match for Kurt Hummel.

**Sorry, guys. I love Burt too much to write him as a bigot, so he had to die. Next chapter comes up tomorrow!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Ian is making a cameo from a great story by Gingerkid2010, called We've Got Five Years. I adore Ian, and Gingerkid2010 graciously allowed me permission to work him into my story. It's been fun playing with him! I highly recommend you read We've Got Five Years, but Ian will make a few more appearances in this story before the end (this story is AU from that one, though). Link to WGFY: www. fanfiction .net/s/7385263/1/**

Kurt blinked open his eyes as he felt the bus slow and then turn, exiting the interstate. He must have drifted off at some point, still leaning against the window. He sat up and rubbed his eyes once again, unsuccessfully trying to wipe away the dry, gritty feeling of old tears.

Kurt's eyes studied the roadside for clues as to his new surroundings. They definitely were not in Ohio anymore. The trees were taller, thicker and darker. The wildflowers and weeds were different. He cracked the window and took in a deep breath of fresh air. Even the air smelled just a little bit different, and it felt slightly cooler than it had been when the bus left Columbus.

He'd never been to upstate New York before. If he were being objective, it really was beautiful there. Given, the circumstances, however, he felt a little differently. "What a miserable, god-forsaken place" he muttered to himself, wincing at the irony once he thought about what he'd said.

Turning in disgust away from the window, he was startled out of his trance by the sight of two icy blue eyes boring through him. He resisted the urge to snarl at the owner of said eyes, a small, dark-haired boy with a haunted expression on his face. He looked so fragile, and young, too, though he had to be at least eleven since that was the minimum age for Camp Reflection. Kurt regretted his instinct to lash out at another passenger on this trip across Acheron, even more vulnerable than Kurt was if that was possible. But the staring was getting unnerving.

"Hi, I'm Kurt. What's your name?"

"Ian." The dark-haired boy fell silent again.

"Well, Ian, it's nice to meet you." Kurt paused, but Ian did not react. "I guess you must be from Ohio too, since you're on this bus, huh?"

Ian nodded solemnly, finally turning to face the back of the seats in front of him.

_Weird kid_, Kurt thought, _I guess I can't blame him. We're in a pretty weird situation._

Kurt shrugged and turned back to his ipod, cursing softly as he determined that the battery was dead. As he secured it in his satchel, he felt the bus slow down dramatically and turn once more. This was it, it had to be. Kurt took a deep breath, holding it for a moment before releasing it slowly. He made a mental note to charge his ipod at the first opportunity. This day was going to be so much more difficult without his headphones to serve as a shield against the world.

A shiver ran up Kurt's spine as his feet hit the pavement. This place was beautiful and peaceful, all of the campers and counselors clean, happy, and smiling. It was a little bit artificial, and it stood in stark contrast with how he felt about his stay here, but he could appreciate the trees and the sunshine nonetheless.

The camp was surrounded by lush, cool forest. The lake sparkled invitingly, all the way out to a small island adorned with a lone pine tree in the very center. A boat house stood at the far end of the camp with canoes lined up on shore. Next to that was a lawn with what looked like a rudimentary football field, and on the near side of the field stood a large, white wooden building with a cross above the door. Next to the church were two long buildings that Kurt supposed were dorms from the number of windows, and a short, square building with low windows and picnic tables out front. The nearest building was the largest, two stories with a wide front porch, and Kurt now noticed several colorful signs directing new arrivals to the camp inside for room assignments. He reluctantly made his way inside, out in front of the rest of the kids from the Ohio bus.

"Welcome, welcome, we're so blessed to have you here!" a chubby, overly chipper middle aged woman exclaimed. "Step right up, what's your name sweetheart?"

"Kurt Hummel," Kurt replied, eyes darting nervously to the two bored-looking teenagers flanking the woman at the table. The blonde to his right shuffled some papers around and handed a packet to the woman, making a check mark on a list as she did so.

"Well, welcome, Kurt! My name is Wendy McAvoy and I'm the lead counselor here at Camp Reflection. This is Jessica and over here is Amy." The woman was speaking so quickly and perkily that Kurt felt safe only nodding in response.

"Here's your packet, with your schedule for the day. Normally each day's schedule is posted to your door the night before, after dinner, but this will get you started. Take a look now, you have some free time before Worship so I suggest you go get settled in your dorm. You'll be in the Blue dorm, and I believe your roommate is already here. I'm sure you two will get along wonderfully. Now, remember to keep an eye on the time, you wouldn't want to be late to Worship on your first day, would you? And... you might change into something a little more... something else."

Kurt's face flushed hot and he glanced down at his clothes. It was nothing out of the ordinary for him, and certainly nothing inappropriate. Well, maybe the skulls decorating his pants were a bit of an ironic choice. He swallowed, quieting the bile rising in his stomach, thankful that he'd made an effort while packing to select some of the most boring clothes in his closet. However, he was still Kurt Freaking Hummel, and it was going to be difficult for him to blunt himself enough to satisfy the people here. "Yes ma'am, thank you, I'll go get settled then," he said.

Blinking back tears that too readily threatened to return, his eyes still accustomed to the crying he did on the bus, Kurt hurried towards the dorms with his suitcase in one hand and the packet in the other. He pulled a key on a lanyard from inside the packet, and found the room number written on the front page. He started to unlock the door, but thought better of it given that Wendy had said his roommate was there already, knocking instead.

A boy immediately opened the door. He was very thin in a still-growing adolescent way, with short, sandy brown hair and light brown eyes to match. He was a little bit taller than Kurt, but with more narrow shoulders. The boy smiled shyly. "Um, hi, you must be Kurt. I'm Josh. It's nice to meet you. Come on and put your suitcase down."

Josh backed into the room and sat one one of the plain twin beds, gesturing to the other one, his eyes not leaving Kurt. "There's no dresser but there are shelves, and a little closet space. If you have anything to hang up, it's all yours, I don't have anything on hangers." The boy drummed his fingers on his knees, noticing the awkward silence. "So, uh, where are you from?"

Kurt decided that he liked Josh's unassuming, friendly demeanor, and once again tried to reel in his bitterness. He put on a warm if not entirely authentic smile. "I'm from Lima, Ohio. I'm sorry for being rude. I'm normally much more chatty, but that Wendy woman just did enough talking for both of us combined and I'm a little overwhelmed."

"I understand, I was like that last summer when I was new," Josh said. Kurt gaped in response, "You've had to come here two years in a row?" Kurt immediately regretted the remark, remembering that his new roommate was probably a Christian, and might even be happy to come to Camp Reflection.

"Oh, haha, it's really not that bad. I'm guessing it wasn't your choice to come here, but I'll help you fit in and the week will fly by. It's almost time for Worship so we really need to get going." Josh smiled and, and this time Kurt smiled genuinely in return, for the first time in a while.

**Happy Glee Day, everyone! Finale tonight... there had better be a Klaine kiss or I'm going to cut a bitch.**


	3. Chapter 3

Kurt shifted uncomfortably in his seat. The auditorium was filling up with seemingly happy, chattering students. Kurt wondered to himself if he was the only one who really didn't want to be there, but then he spotted Ian coming in from the opposite side of the building, clearly still miserable.

He wiggled again, wondering if they had to make the seats so hard. _Whatever, this situation would be seriously uncomfortable even if we were sitting on designer cushions. _

Kurt crossed his legs and wrapped his hands around his knee, trying to maintain an air of respectful attentiveness. He decided to daydream about clothes-shopping while this "worship" business took place.

The blonde counselor, Jessica, shot him a glare from her post on the aisle. She pointed at his knees and wagged her finger, making a tsking noise. Bewildered, Kurt uncrossed his legs. He blushed and wondered exactly what he'd done wrong. Before he had a chance to ask Josh, who was sitting beside him, the lights dimmed and a man stepped onto the stage.

He was dressed simply, in jeans and a t-shirt, and appeared to be in his early thirties. He carried a microphone in his hand, and a guitar could be seen perched on a stand at the corner of the stage. "Good afternoon, how is everyone doing? My name is Josiah, and I'm the youth leader here at Camp Reflection."

Josiah launched into a history of the camp, peppering in anecdotes that were meant to be inspirational but just gave Kurt the creeps. "Sarah struggled with the temptations of homosexuality for years. She planned to move to New York City with another girl after high school and pursue the lifestyle full time, playing music in the subways and bars for a living. Fortunately, the Lord touched her heart and she came here the summer before her senior year. Now, she's married to a good Christian man and living in Montana, and she just gave birth to her second child."

The room broke into applause with a few "amens" thrown in for good measure. Kurt felt Jessica's eyes on him, so he forced his lips into a smile and clapped politely, trying to make as little actual noise as possible. He looked over at Josh in the seat next to him, trying to gauge his reaction. Josh was loudly clapping and smiling, but there was something else behind his eyes. Despite the smile, there was a trace of sadness. _Or maybe I'm just projecting, this is his second year here after all, _Kurt thought.

"In keeping with Camp Reflection tradition, we will put together a talent show Friday night, our last night in camp. You may work alone or in groups. Signup sheets can be found in the main activity hall. We want there to be a mix of musical numbers and skits, so keep that in mind. I know we have a lot of hidden talent in this group, so start thinking about how you can use that to express your feelings for the Lord!" _Pity, you almost had me on board until that last part_, Kurt snarked inside his head.

"We're going to finish up the service with some hymns The lyrics will show up on the screen above me, so do your best to follow along. I want to hear your voices ring out in praise!" Josiah picked up the guitar and began to strum the opening chords to "Be Thou My Vision."

Kurt relaxed a bit. He hoped this meant that Worship was drawing to a close. At least he was comfortable singing, if not entirely with the lyrics. The remaining time should go quickly. Besides, "Be Thou My Vision" was pretty innocuous as hymns go, and the melody was classic and beautiful.

"Be Thou my Wisdom, Thou my true Word;

I ever with Thee, Thou with me, Lord;

Thou my great Father, I thy true son;

Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one."

Kurt had that feeling again, of being stared at. He sneaked a glance over at Jessica, wondering what he was doing wrong now. But she wasn't looking in his direction. He kept singing, but searched for the eyes that were still burning into him.

Four rows down in the next section, in the second seat from the aisle, he found them.

Kurt's breath was momentarily taken from him. His voice threatened to hitch but he forced himself to keep singing. It was no simple task when the most stunningly beautiful, golden eyes that had ever existed or ever would exist were locked onto his.

Overwhelmed by the intensity of the gaze, Kurt glanced up at the screen, though he knew the lyrics well enough. He tried to breathe deeply and slow his pounding heart. Something about the boy and the way he was looking at him completely unnerved Kurt, but it was a good feeling. He smiled slightly and looked back in the direction of Eyes of Gold, only to see that he had also turned away towards the screen.

Kurt watched the back of his head, studying him. The other boy was about his age, with dark, thick curly hair, and was a little bit on the short side, Kurt noted. _Please, please look back this way,_ Kurt thought. He ached to see those eyes, so compelling that even in the brief moment of connection felt like they had bored through him and left an emptiness when they were gone.

As if he could read his mind, the Eyes of Gold flashed back his way. This time, Kurt noticed that the other boy also had dark, mile-long lashes. Eyes of Gold seemed to notice Kurt staring, and the corner of his mouth turned up into a smile, still singing along to the hymn. _Oh, sweet flying spaghetti monster, that smile!_ Kurt blushed brightly and couldn't help but break the gaze, fixing his eyes on the floor.

_He smiled at me. He looked at me, twice, and smiled. He's definitely looking at me on purpose. Did my voice crack? No, my singing was flawless as always. Is there something on my shirt? _Kurt checked his clothes subtly, but everything was in place. _No... maybe... maybe he likes me? Or maybe he wants to witness to me. With those eyes, let him at it I don't even care. I have to learn his name._

Kurt was broken out of his reverie by the sound of feet shuffling and Josh's hand on his arm. The song had ended, Worship was over, and the crowd was pulling him in the opposite direction of Eyes of Gold. Kurt twisted out of Josh's grasp and turned the other way, scooting past the other students in the aisle until he ran directly into Jessica. With a stern look, she put her hands on his shoulders and turned him around. Kurt wondered if she had seen the silent exchange. _She's always such a sourpuss, her face might as well be stuck like that. There's no way to know for sure._

Kurt searched the crowd, but there was no sign of him. He reluctantly followed Josh out the side door, towards the cafeteria. But he couldn't help himself, and his feet stilled at the last step before the door. Kurt twisted around and scanned the crowd one last time.

There, going out the opposite door, was Eyes of Gold. Their eyes met again, before the crowd pushed the other boy out the door. A wave of warmth flowed through Kurt, bringing a smile to his face, and he allowed Josh to tug him outside and towards the cafeteria.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: At this point I'd like to unabashedly beg for reviews. I'm still revising the rest of the story, and I'd love some feedback and constructive criticism. I appreciate each and every review I get, even if it's super short. Please consider it. Thanks.**

"Anyone can have a new start when they give themselves over to the Lord. Sarah struggled with the temptations of homosexuality..."

Blaine let his mind wander while the man on stage droned on. Josiah was trying so hard to make Camp Reflection sound like some magical, storied place they would remember for the rest of their lives. Blaine only hoped that he could forget the place the minute the week was over. Unfortunately, the way things were shaping up, the camp was likely to scar him for life. The bus ride had been long and uncomfortable, with Blaine in the very back corner doing his best to sleep. Now, though, he wanted nothing to be back on that bus again, speeding away from there.

Blaine curled his lip in disgust as he briefly tuned back into Josiah's speech. The prospect of a talent show would ordinarily make him giddy with excitement, but somehow this place could even suck the fun out of performing on stage.

Performing. A pang of loneliness hit Blaine's heart as he reminisced about the feeling of putting on a performance, of being on stage... of being part of a group and the thrill of working together to put a smile on people's faces. He had always loved those feelings, but this past year of performing with the Warblers at Dalton Academy had been something else entirely. There was so much of a sense of belonging, almost a brotherhood, and it would shine through during their shows. His Freshman year had made up for so much pain and rejection in his life up to this point, both at his prior school and at home.

Home. If anything, Dalton was more of a home to him than his parent's house. Weren't your parents supposed to be the ones who loved and accepted you unconditionally? "Acceptance" was a dirty word at his house. "Conformity" would be a better slogan for the Anderson household. Blaine's father had made his feelings about Blaine's orientation... his "choices"... very clear. He felt that an expensive preparatory school where everyone looked the same, dressed the same and seemed to act the same would straighten his son out. In every sense of the word. Fortunately for Blaine, he had been very wrong about that. Blaine had made a point of not correcting his misconceptions.

Dalton was a place he could truly express himself. Maybe not through fashion, but in every other way that mattered.

Blaine had already gotten in trouble earlier that day for "self-expression." Truth be told, that nasty girl from Team Bird deserved every bad word he had called her. She had snatched his favorite sunglasses off of his face, saying they were "super gay," and the counselors didn't do a thing to her or even try and get them back for him. So he'd given her a piece of his mind, that was all. Maybe his temper had gotten a little out of control. But he thought the coming punishment, restriction to his room after Worship, was a little harsh. Would they even bring him dinner?

His mind snapped back to the present as Josiah picked up his guitar. He stood quickly to join as the entire auditorium began to sing along. He knew this song by heart from the first chords. Even singing wasn't the same without his Warbler friends, but maybe singing together with the other campers would make him feel a little less alone.

"Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;

Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.

Thou my best thought, by day or by night,

Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light."

As the first lines of the hymn rang out all around him, one voice carried over the din. It was clear, and captivating, masculine and feminine at the same time. Blaine twisted around in his seat, searching for the face that belonged to that voice. He knew he had found it the instant he laid eyes on him.

The voice belonged to a boy. A beautiful boy. He had translucent skin, brown hair that was styled to flatter his cheekbones, long legs and surprisingly broad shoulders. He was wearing a simple t-shirt, but something about the way he wore it managed to still flatter his delicate neck. The voice fit perfectly, as the boy had masculine and feminine elements that combined in a compelling way. Blaine couldn't tear his eyes off of him.

There was something else, too. A hard edge etched into his face, around his eyes, and a tension about the shoulders. Was it... pain? Anguish? Whatever it was, it was buried deep beneath the surface, being held tightly at the boy's core. Blaine's eyes roved that face. He wanted to know everything there was to know about him. He decided to start with the eyes. What color were they?

When the boy locked eyes with Blaine, he briefly lost the capacity for thought. The eyes, let's call them "blue plus," had noticed him. Blaine felt vulnerable under the clear gaze, but he somehow couldn't look away. When Blue Plus looked up at the overhead screen, Blaine used the opportunity to look away as well and take a steadying breath. But he needed more.

Trying to be a bit more casual this time, he glanced back behind him. Blaine couldn't help but smile when he saw that Blue Plus was already staring at him. The boy blushed and ducked his head, causing Blaine to chuckle softly in delight. The boy hadn't just noticed him, he seemed to like the way Blaine was looking at him! Could it be... what are the odds, especially in a place like Camp Reflection?

Blaine continued to sing, fascinated with watching the blush blossom and fade on the porcelain cheeks. _If he likes me staring, I might as well enjoy the view. _Unfortunately, the boy seemed to be very intrigued by his own shoes, and didn't look up again as the song ended. Blaine tore himself away from the spot and hurried for the exit, needing to see those eyes again but not wanting to push his luck with the counselors. He had to be in his room ten minutes after Worship ended.

_Screw the counselors_, he decided. He had to see Blue Plus one more time, just in case this was all some kind of weird dream. Blaine turned in the exit and took two steps back. His eyebrows knit together as he considered the possibility that he'd never see that boy again.

But then their eyes met and time stopped. The crowd, however, did not. The other boy smiled radiantly back at Blaine as the crowd surged, and Blaine was caught up in the wave of bodies and deposited outside the door. Blaine stood in the spot for a long minute, steadying himself, knowing Blue Plus wouldn't appear but still unable to move.


	5. Chapter 5

Kurt felt like he was walking on air. He let Josh lead him along the path to the cafeteria with a dreamy smile on his face. He remembered from glancing at the schedule earlier that everyone had dinner together. Surely Eyes of Gold would be in here, somewhere. _He could walk through the door at any minute! We could actually speak to one another! Have a conversation! Learn each others' names!_

Josh and Kurt got in the buffet line, and Josh handed him a tray. He took it without a word. Kurt made his way through the line, waving his hand at whatever looked least offensive, his eyes still roving the room. By the time he'd made it to the drink station, his face had fallen and his brow was creased.

His plan to "accidentally" sit at the same table as Eyes of Gold was going to be shot all to hell if he couldn't find him. Even if he came in later, getting up and moving tables in the middle of dinner would be a little obvious, even by Kurt's standards. And that was a high bar, since Kurt had dressed up as Gaga, complete with 10-inch Alexander McQueen stilettos.

Josh led them to a table, Kurt following numbly. Kurt sighed and slumped in a chair facing the main doors, ignoring his food. Josh chatted politely with the other people at the table, but Kurt couldn't bring himself to make an effort anymore. He crossed his legs and let his face fall into a distant, standoffish expression while keeping one eye on the entrance.

His elated mood was fading, and he rapidly sunk back towards depression. Unlike before, however, every moment was excruciating. How could he go numb and endure the rest of the week after how awake and alive he'd felt in that auditorium? When somewhere in the camp, or in the world, there was a boy that could make him feel like every nerve ending was on fire with just a look? And what if he never found those eyes again?

"Hey, Earth to Kurt! Come in, Kurt! Hey, there's someone I want you to meet!" Josh's perky voice intruded into Kurt's thoughts. Kurt reminded himself that Josh was nice, and an important ally in surviving the camp, so he twisted his face into a smile.

He turned to the girl who was pulling up a chair and sitting down at their table and offered up his hand. "Kurt Hummel. Nice to meet you." "Oh, uh, I'm Cate!" the girl exclaimed, shuffling her tray around, freeing her hand to shake Kurt's.

"A pleasure," Kurt said, with a beauty-queen smile plastered on his face. "What brings you to Camp Reflection, Cate?" His smile faltered briefly as he considered that Cate's reason for being there may not be any more appropriate of a subject for small talk than his own reason would be. His fears were proven correct when the girl winced and changed the subject. _Mouth, meet foot, _Kurt thought. He lapsed into silence as Josh and Cate engaged in an animated conversation about the merit of the dinner selections, or lack thereof.

Kurt picked at his food and examined the new addition to the table. Cate was tall and stocky, with tanned skin and freckles. Her ponytail was dyed a few shades darker red than could be found in nature, verging on magenta, and she had serious hazel eyes. Her clothes were clean, neat and androgynous: a collared white polo, khaki shorts and skater shoes with no socks. She and Josh sounded comfortable with each other already, and Kurt wondered if she'd been at Camp Reflection before as well. Like Josh, there was something about Cate that made Kurt instinctively want to like her. She seemed easygoing, and didn't seem overly bothered by Kurt's poor manners thus far.

Kurt decided that Eyes of Gold wasn't coming to dinner. It had been a while since anyone had come in the doors, and the lines were starting to shut down. So, he started actually paying attention to the conversation between Josh and Cate. They had moved on to discussing the camp. Apparently Cate was new to Camp Reflection after all. "...so that sticker means that you're on the Butterfly team, and Kurt and I are Lions. There are three teams of boys and two of girls, and that's how we're assigned to activities. But everyone comes together for Worship and dinner. Did you have any other questions about camp?"

"What's the story with that head lady, Wendy?" Cate asked. "She's just so..." Cate gestured with one hand, trailing off hesitantly.

"Oh, she's so nice!" Josh exclaimed, a little too insistently. "She really cares a lot about each and every camper. If you follow the rules and try hard to be a good Christian you won't have any problems with her."

Cate seemed to flinch at that. "What about the counselors? What are they like?" "Oh, they're all great! Amy is such a sweetie, she's always taking the time to help campers with their problems and pray with them."

"What about Jessica?" Kurt interjected, "I already seem to be on her bad side. I have no idea why." That wasn't quite true, he had something of an idea.

"She can be a little intense, but she just wants everyone to do their best. You'll see, I'm sure you can win her over, Kurt. You're a great guy." Josh beamed.

_A great guy, sure, just not enough of a "guy," _Kurt thought. He would have to watch around Josh until he could figure out how much of that garbage Josh really believed.

Kurt decided to switch to a safer subject. "So, Josh, obviously all of the campers eat dinner together, but do the teams ever get put together for activities?" He didn't have to feign interest in the answer.

"Yeah, sometimes. Our schedules for tomorrow should be posted on our door by the time we get back to our room, and it'll say on there if any of the activities are joint with another team. Why do you ask? Have you made friends here already? I'd like to meet them!"

"Not really. I was just making conversation." _Not exactly a friend, no, _Kurt thought. Friends knew each others' names. Besides, Josh surely wouldn't approve of the un-biblical thoughts he was having about Eyes of Gold.

The three cleared their trays and walked back to the dorms, bidding Cate goodbye at the corner of the girl's building, identical to the boys' except that the trim was pink rather than blue. Kurt and Josh walked to their room, Josh pulling the next day's schedule off of the door as they entered. Josh sat at the desk and turned on the lamp to read it, and Kurt leaned over him eagerly to see.

It turned out that they had a joint hike the next day with Teams Tiger and Butterfly, but Kurt remembered Josh saying that there were three boys' teams. "Josh, does everyone sit with their teams for Worship? I just followed you today, but... um..." _Think, Hummel. _"...what if we get separated?"

"No worries, everyone has to sit with their teams but there's a sign above each section. Just look for the picture of the lion." Kurt tried to recall a sign above Eyes of Gold's section, but he just couldn't remember. How would he find the fascinating boy at this rate? Ignoring the rest of the schedule, he lay down on his bed with a huff.

"Are you feeling okay, buddy?"

"Decidedly not. I am full of ennui."

"Um... well, it's almost time for lights-out. Would you like to pray with me?"

Kurt rubbed his temples. _Be nice. _"No, thank you," he replied flatly. "I prefer ennui to self-delusion. But, you enjoy."

Josh quirked an eyebrow and turned off the lamp.

**Don't kill me. As a consolation prize for still not letting them meet: if you review, I'll send you a preview if you like. Put "no preview" in your review if you don't want it, but it won't be major spoilers at any rate.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I doubt it's an issue for this story, but in case any of my stuff disappears please be aware that I cross-post pretty much everywhere, and always under the name leftrightbrain. Scarves and Coffee, Livejournal, etc.**

"_We are four people, becoming a family."_

"_Okay! Burt, do you take Carole?" "You bet I do!"_

"_And do you Carole, take this man..." "Oh, yes I do, yes, I do!"_

"Hey, Kurt, it's time to wake up. Come on now." A hand nudging his shoulder brought Kurt back to awareness. An ache tore through his chest and he choked back a sob as the knowledge washed over him: he had been dreaming, and his father was dead.

Kurt cracked open his eyelids. The window was open. The sun was shining, birds were chirping, a soft wind was blowing a fresh pine scent into the room, and the sky outside was a brilliant blue. It was a beautiful, miserable day.

"Rise and shine, buddy, we can't be late, now can we?" Josh chirped, with a slight edge to his voice.

Kurt wiped his tears away and peered at the clock on the nightstand. 7:51 a.m. "Ugh. Where do we need to be and when?" Maybe he should have paid more attention to the schedule last night.

"Morning services. Come on and get dressed, we need to be at the chapel by eight," Josh said, lacing up his shoes.

Kurt groaned at the word "chapel," sucked back into his dream. It would have been a happy dream, were it not for the fact that it was about a day which would never come to pass. "Why do we have morning services? Don't we have Worship every afternoon?"

"Yeah, but today's Sunday, Kurt. Hurry up, morning services are mandatory."

Kurt just couldn't. He couldn't bring himself to do it. "I'm not feeling well, Josh. You go on without me. I'll catch up with you later."

"Kurt, please, it's mandatory, I don't want you to get in trouble." Josh sounded genuinely concerned.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but trouble or no trouble, you're just going to have to go talk to your imaginary friend without me today," Kurt replied, rolling over and covering his head with the pillow.

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After Kurt had wallowed, napped, pontificated, showered, moisturized, blow-dried and dressed himself, he felt well enough to go to breakfast. The line was already closed, but he found toast and juice at the self-serve station. Kurt walked over to the table, where Josh and Cate were already sitting, and set down his tray. As he pulled out his chair, something caught his attention in his peripheral vision.

A head full of dark curls, headed out the back door at a quick pace.

It was everything Kurt could do to keep from breaking into a run to follow him, but he did walk very fast indeed, dropping his tray on the table as he went. Cate and Josh watched his sudden departure, then quickly resumed their conversation, Josh reaching out a hand to steady Kurt's wobbling juice glass. They were already starting to expect odd behavior from Kurt.

Kurt had almost reached the door when a sudden obstacle stepped into his path. He was so focused on pursuing the dark-haired boy that he bumped shoulders with the obstacle, who turned out to be Jessica. Kurt squeaked in frustration, but backed up and quickly apologized, eager to get around her and out the door.

"Where were you this morning, Hummel?" Jessica barked. "Morning worship is mandatory. It's Sunday!"

"I wasn't feeling well." Kurt growled.

"You look fine to me. Did you go to the nurse?"

"Uh, no, I didn't realize we had a nurse. I'll make sure to avail myself of her services next time." Kurt forced what he hoped was a winning smile onto his face. "I'm very sorry to have missed morning services, but I'll be there this afternoon." _Whatever, just get out of my way! _Kurt thought.

"See that you are, Hummel. I expect you to be in prompt attendance at all scheduled activities, is that clear? You aren't off to a very good start."

With one last hard look, she turned and stalked off. Kurt waited, with his forced smile and his hands folded behind his back, until the minute her eyes were off of him.

He dashed to the window.

Eyes of Gold was nowhere to be seen.

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Trees. More trees. Dirt. A rock, boo. A meadow. Meadow's over, more trees.

Kurt trudged along the path with his arms folded. Josh marched at his side, swinging a walking stick and looking around cheerily, seemingly inspecting each and every tree. _Just like a puppy, which one is he going to wee on? _Kurt mused.

Josh chatted lightly with one of the "Tigers," a skinny blonde boy named Sid. Cate was several lengths behind them alongside a fellow Butterfly, a petite brunette whose name Kurt couldn't remember.

It felt like they had been hiking forever. And every step was taking him further away from his pursuit of Eyes of Gold, who was definitely NOT a Tiger. To add injury to insult, the wind was messing up Kurt's hair, and the dust was sticking to his clothes.

On the other hand, after they got back from the hike it would be time for Worship. _Maybe the woods aren't so bad after all, _Kurt thought.

"Okay guys, time to stop for lunch!" Amy announced, leading them into a clearing by a stream. "We have sandwiches, sodas and fruit. After we eat you can explore a bit, and we'll start heading back at two o'clock."

Kurt took a turkey sandwich and a diet coke, and sat with Cate, Josh, Sid and the brunette, whose name turned out to be Alice. Kurt half-listened to the conversation while daydreaming about Eyes of Gold.

"You just cut an 'x' over each fang hole, then suck the poison out!" said Sid.

"Are you sure?" replied Alice, "I read on the internet that that's just an urban legend. And it's disgusting."

_Ugh. My top remedy for a snakebite is not to go hiking in the first place. I have nothing to contribute to this conversation, _Kurt thought, zoning out again.

He finished his sandwich and killed time by plotting a heist on the coolers to obtain a second diet coke. Ultimately he abandoned the plan, not wanting to upset the only counselor who seemed at all inclined to be kind to him.

Groups of campers started to get up and wander off into the woods along the stream, dipping bare feet into the water or collecting river rocks. Kurt looked around and realized that Josh and the rest had gone off without him. Not that he could blame them, as he had been stewing all morning.

Kurt got up and walked towards the stream, picking out a path that he thought the other campers would be less likely to choose. He was still struggling to shake the horrible mood that had started first thing that morning, when he realized that he had been dreaming and his father was still dead. The distraction of happy chatter made it difficult to get back to his place of numbness and he needed to get away.

Kurt sat on a rock and dangled his legs over the water, watching it swirl and bubble around the smooth stones. The noise was soothing, but he wished he had thought to bring his ipod instead.

"Hey." A small voice out of nowhere startled Kurt, and he looked around quickly. It was the boy from the bus.

"Hi, sweetie, your name is Ian, right?" Kurt smiled despite himself. Something about this boy brought out his protective side and he really couldn't say why.

"Yeah... whatcha doing?" "Nothing, just thinking." "What about?"

"I have a lot on my mind these days. What about you?" Kurt asked. "I was looking for frogs but there aren't any. Frogs are one of my favorite animals." Ian said.

Kurt smiled. _A whole two sentences, he's really opening up,_ he thought. "You're on Team Tiger, right?" Ian nodded but didn't say anything.

Kurt tried again. "Aren't you hot in that sweater? This is the first shade we've had all day."

Ian tugged nervously at one cuff of the heavy, long-sleeved shirt. "No. I'm fine."

Kurt stood and took a step towards Ian. "Why don't you roll up the sleeves at least? You'll feel better. Let me help you."

"No," Ian whispered, wide-eyed. He folded his arms around his middle, clutching his arms hard and digging his fingers into himself. "Don't." He seemed to collapse into himself, shrinking back a step.

Kurt frowned, trying to piece together the reaction. "Sorry... well, we should be heading back or they'll leave without us. How about you hike back with me?" "Okay."

Kurt got up and Ian followed. He held out his hand to the younger boy, but Ian didn't take it. He hiked back with Kurt but always kept a few steps behind, watching Kurt with wide eyes, still hugging his arms to his chest.

**Disclaimer: Diet coke makes a cameo in this and any other fic of mine not because Chris Colfer loves diet coke (I'm aware of that, and it's adorable) but because I love diet coke. Any resemblance between myself and Chris Colfer is surely a fluke because he's amazing and I'm a loser. Dietcokebrain 4 eva.**


	7. Chapter 7

When the group got back to camp there was still half an hour before Worship, so Kurt and Josh went back to their room to change.

Kurt's gloomy mood and his concern for Ian had almost pushed the previous day's events out of his head, but now that he was about to go to Worship he realized that there was a chance Eyes of Gold would be there. He felt excitement creeping up on him at the prospect, despite the sermon he would have to endure.

Kurt hummed "Ding, Dong, the Witch is Dead" to himself as he tried to pick out the perfect outfit from the limited selections in his suitcase. He felt some regret for only packing the most boring, conventional items in his wardrobe, though it had seemed like a good idea at the time. Kurt tried to be prepared for every possible opportunity for fashion, but the occasion of "impressing a hot guy at Jesus Camp" had not even crossed his mind.

"I'm glad you're feeling better. I guess some fresh air was good for you?" Josh said, pulling on a red Camp Reflection t-shirt.

"I guess I am feeling a little bit better. I'm just trying to look on the bright side, you know?" Kurt replied, smiling dreamily as he held up a blue scarf against a button-down shirt.

"That's always been my policy. That and 'trust the Lord'... Hey, what are you doing?" Josh asked, as Kurt tied the scarf around his neck.

"What do you mean? I'm getting dressed." Kurt responded, bewildered, "This scarf goes perfectly with this shirt, and it makes my eyes pop."

Josh became flustered and tried to suppress the blush starting to form on his cheeks. "I just don't think Wendy would like it. I dunno."

Kurt tugged savagely at the scarf. Somehow it didn't look quite as perfect with the shirt anymore. "It's not like there's a dress code prohibiting excess layers. What's not to like?" He untied it, shook it out and tried again.

"Never mind," Josh said, "you look... nice. I just worry about you attracting any more attention to yourself after this morning." The blush deepened.

Kurt huffed in response, putting his hands on his hips and tilting his head in the mirror, examining every angle of his face. The color really did bring out his eyes. Josh had a point, but the prospect of making a connection with Eyes of Gold was more important. "Josh, you haven't known me very long, but there's something I've had to learn to accept about myself: No matter what, I inevitably attract attention. I was born this way."

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Josh seemed pleased with Kurt's sudden enthusiasm for Worship. He practically bounced all the way to the building. As a result, they were in their seats before most of the campers had even made their way to the door. Kurt sat and crossed his legs, sitting upright in his seat with his hands around his knee. He looked around the room, eyes darting and flashing with excitement.

"I can't keep up with your moods, buddy. You must really like hiking. Or turkey sandwiches. Or diet coke." Josh shifted uncomfortably in his seat, waiting for a response from Kurt that never came. "Kurt, are you looking for someone?"

"Hmm? Yeah, diet coke is so amazing, isn't it?" Kurt mumbled. Josh sighed and gave up, turning to face the stage.

Kurt glanced at Josh, wondering why he stopped talking so abruptly, but was quickly distracted again when the object of his affection took a seat in the section in front of him. Kurt noted a posterboard sign declaring that section to be Team Bear. But was it his imagination, or was Eyes of Gold sitting a few rows closer than he had the day before? Kurt's pulse quickened as the boy laughed with his neighbor. He had a great smile, too.

Finally, though, those eyes were back on Kurt's. Looking into them again felt like finally getting a breath of air after being underwater. _It isn't fair that he has so much power over me,_ Kurt thought. _But I'll take it._ Meanwhile, the boy had stopped talking to his neighbor and was positively beaming at Kurt, their eyes locked together. Once more, it was as if they couldn't look away.

"LUST!" Both boys' eyes snapped to the stage. Kurt sat up rigidly in his seat and blinked.

"We all know it's one of the seven deadly sins," said Josiah, holding up the microphone and standing under a spotlight, "but lust means more than just having relations or indulging in pornography. You guys are teenagers, and that means that there are opportunities to commit the sin of lust every single day. Living a Christian life means that you must constantly turn your thoughts to God. He will help you overcome temptation. Something as seemingly innocent as sharing eye contact can cause you to lust in your heart."

Kurt giggled at the last words. Consequences be damned, he had to look at Eyes of Gold again after hearing that. Of course, the other boy was looking back at him, and his shoulders were shaking like he was laughing, too. They grinned at each other like they were in on some hilarious secret. _Yep, he definitely has a beautiful smile,_ Kurt thought. _Actually, his mouth is kind of huge._ At that thought, Kurt's mind immediately went to a filthy place. _Oh, gosh, maybe this Josiah guy has a point!_

"Guys, I know this subject makes some of you uncomfortable, but we have to talk about it. It's normal for a guy to wanna talk to a cute girl, but stuff like that leads to lust in your heart..."

_Is he trying to say that men and women can't even talk to each other? _Kurt wondered. _If it didn't have the potential to be so hilarious I'd stop listening to this crap entirely. Okay, okay, Josiah, I promise not to lust after any girls._

Kurt looked back towards Eyes of Gold, who was temporarily watching the stage. He noticed that his hair looked different from the day before, a little bit flatter. Kurt watched as a drop of water slipped off of a dark curl and down the boy's lightly tanned neck. He must have gone swimming. Kurt gulped as his mind went back to the filthy place, imagining the boy without a shirt, on a beach and dripping wet.

"Let's all pray together for the strength to overcome temptation and grow closer to God. Let's bow our heads." Kurt bowed his head, but not so far that he couldn't keep his eyes trained on the back of the boy's neck. Kurt licked his lips as he watched another drop of water slip down into the collar of his shirt.

**A/N: I'm about ready to kick my own butt for dragging it out this long. Sorry. :( If you review, you get a preview for the next chapter, unless you don't want one!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: If this story or my account were to suddenly disappear, please remember that I crosspost everywhere with the same username. Livejournal has copies of everything too.**

Josiah left the stage, and the campers stood and started to file out. "I'll meet you in a bit, guys," Blaine said to his friends. As ridiculous as it was, after all that talk of lust and stolen looks with Blue Plus, he needed to sit for a minute. He was just a teenage boy, after all.

_My dad's plan sure backfired on him,_ Blaine thought. _Just like fixing the car and sending me to Dalton._ He was suddenly grateful for his father's misguided efforts. He never had such strong feelings for a person before even learning their name.

Blaine could swear by now that the other boy liked him, too. Some of those looks had been silly and flirty, but others were just so intense. Like Blue Plus was undressing him with his eyes. And was it just Blaine's imagination, or did those eyes look even more incredible today?

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"Come on, Kurt, aren't you hungry? Let's get going so we don't have to wait in line forever." Josh was tugging Kurt away from where Eyes of Gold was sitting. He stumbled along, head twisted back towards his crush, until he lost sight of the boy, whipping his head around to face Josh. "Huh? The lines in the cafeteria haven't been that bad so far."

"We're not eating dinner in the cafeteria tonight, Kurt. I thought you read the schedule last night? There's a bonfire down by the lake, and we all get to roast hot dogs. It's tons of fun, but last year I had to wait forever to get my food. Let's go."

Kurt's face went blank as he absorbed Josh's words, letting himself be pulled along out the door and down towards the lake. "We're going to a bonfire? Like, the whole camp all together? All evening?"

"Yeah," Josh said, "why, was there someone you wanted to talk to? SHE'LL probably be there..."

Kurt blinked at his roommate in confusion, then giggled. "Oh, yes, there is someone I want to talk to, actually."

Josh stopped and sighed, his hand still on Kurt's arm. He glanced around to make sure there weren't any counselors in earshot. "Kurt, I'm not an idiot. I saw you staring during Worship, and I know you weren't looking at the girl's section. Please, I really want you to do well here. You have to at least try." he pleaded.

Kurt wrenched his arm from Josh's grasp. "I don't see how it's any of your business, but actually, no, I don't 'have to at least try'. I know that you like it here, and buy into what they are selling, but I don't and I never will. If you can't respect that, then do me the courtesy of leaving me alone."

Kurt stalked towards the lake and away from the other boy, missing the sight of his face crumpling in sorrow.

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Josh could be annoying sometimes, but he had a point about beating the crowd. Kurt was already perched on a log by the fire, diet coke in hand and hot dog roasted and on a plate, by the time most of the campers wandered down to the lake. He hadn't decided yet if he would actually eat the hot dog or just keep it as a prop. _When you're trying to attract a boy, looking pretty is more important than mere hunger_, he thought to himself. He also wanted to keep his breath fresh, just in case.

Josh, meanwhile, was deep in conversation with a taller boy to Kurt's left, a blue-eyed blonde with messy curls. If one didn't know better, it would seem that Josh had a thing for blondes. Kurt tried to remember what color eyes Sid from the Tigers had.

The boys seemed engrossed in each other, and their mutual appreciation for the day's Worship service. "That's so true!" Josh exclaimed, touching the taller boy's elbow. "It's pointless to try to reinterpret scripture for modern society, when all you need to do is follow the Word faithfully. If you read it as God intended, the answer is there." Kurt failed to contain his eye-rolls.

Meanwhile, Cate was sitting to Kurt's right, smiling and laughing with a gothy Asian girl who reminded Kurt of Tina, minus the stuttering. Cate whispered in the girl's ear, then leaned back to take a sip of her soda, narrowing her eyes with a cocky smirk at the blush that spread across the other girl's face. _What, is everyone here gay?_ Kurt thought. _I guess it sort of makes sense._

The Asian girl got up and walked back towards the food line. Cate grinned to herself and took another sip.

"She's pretty cute," Kurt said to Cate, "you know, for a girl." He quirked an eyebrow up in Cate's direction.

"Yeah, she's... conflicted. Maybe I can help her figure some things out. It's worth a try, anyway." Cate replied.

"She may be conflicted, but you certainly don't seem to be. I'm sorry if I was too blunt before, but really, how did someone like you end up in this place?" Kurt asked.

"My mom and I never had a great relationship," Cate sighed, "she wanted a girly girl who liked pink, and barbies, and makeup. My dad and I got along pretty well, but she got custody when I was six and we have struggled with each other since. We love each other, don't get me wrong, and I know that she wants what she thinks is best for me. Things got worse last spring, though."

Kurt rubbed Cate's arm sympathetically. "Did something happen?" he asked.

"Yeah," Cate said, "I, um, had this secret girlfriend... she was actually my best friend. My mom caught us... together... you know... and freaked out. She didn't go all 'god squad' on me until after that. And Sheena wasn't ready to have anyone know, so she freaked out too. She ended it and my mom sent me here."

"Oh, honey, that's awful. I'm so sorry." Kurt said. "And on top of all that you have to have all of this Jesus stuff constantly shoved down your throat."

"It's not really that bad," Cate shrugged, "actually I believe in Jesus. I like going to church sometimes. I just don't agree that homosexuality is a sin. The bible has a lot of good things in it, but I think that people who read that anti-gay stuff into it are seeing what they want to see. They're just afraid."

"I didn't mean any offense. I personally don't believe, but it's easy to forget that the loudest Christians aren't necessarily representative of the majority."

"It's okay. Sometimes it doesn't make sense to me, either. I still go to church, but I'm sort of at a crossroads right now. It's really hard being sent away to a place like this, and having the extreme views pushed on me kind of makes me want to run in the opposite direction, you know?" Cate said.

Cate's friend sat back down, and they resumed their previous heavy flirting. Kurt smiled to himself and turned back towards the fire. Cate was a really interesting person and similarly situated to himself. Josh had a good heart, even if he was a little dramatic and misguided. Kurt never would have expected to make genuine friends in a place like Camp Reflection.

Kurt, lost in thought, watched the coals glow blue and orange. The wood popped, shooting out sparks. Kurt watched them float up to the sky. He felt oddly at peace. As the smoke momentarily cleared, his eyes drifted downwards, to a figure seated exactly opposite him around the bonfire. A strong jaw, high cheekbones, and dark curls. Golden eyes that turned from his conversation with the boy sitting next to him to make eye contact with Kurt. He was leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, the v-neck of his shirt showing a tantalizing bit of the boy's chest. How long had he been sitting there, watching him, while Kurt was talking?

As Kurt gawked, Eyes of Gold stood up, set down his plate, and walked around the circumference of the fire. Kurt couldn't move, not even to stand up and greet the boy. He sat there like an idiot, feeling like he was in a dream, as the other boy walked right up to him and held out his hand.

"My name's Blaine."

"Kurt."


	9. Chapter 9

Kurt stretched his arms overhead and peeked open his eyes. The sun was up and it looked like it would be another gorgeous day. He sniffed the air drifting in through the open window, detecting pine and old campfire smoke. It smelled amazing.

_What a difference a day makes,_ he thought.

Kurt bounced out of bed and gathered his shower supplies. Josh rolled over in bed to see what was going on. "You're in a ridiculously good mood today," he said skeptically, "sleep well?"

"I guess I'm just full of the Holy Sprit," Kurt snarked. "Now, I'm going to shower and after that we can go to breakfast!" Kurt was humming his way down the hall towards the showers before Josh could reply.

"Why are you still in bed? Hurry up and get ready so we can go!" Kurt squeaked on his way back into the room after showering, a towel twisted around his hair.

"Kurt, I tried to tell you..." Josh interjected, eyes growing wide as he watched Kurt button up his shirt."I guess you didn't check the schedule last night? We aren't having breakfast in the cafeteria. We are meeting up with Team Bird to canoe across the lake. They are going to learn cooking while we practice building fires and tying knots."

Kurt's face fell a bit, but a moment later he lifted his chin in determination. He could put up with a lot from this camp if it meant he could see Blaine eventually.

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"Hummel, how about you try actually rowing for once? The longer it takes us to get to the other shore, the longer it will be before we get breakfast." Jessica barked from the stern of the canoe. Kurt smiled pettily and picked up the oar, making ineffectual splashes at the surface. It's not like Jessica could be bothered to pick up an oar herself.

Kurt let his mind wander back to the previous evening.

"_My name's Blaine." "Kurt," he replied, curling his fingers around Blaine's outstretched hand. _

_Blaine paused, not dropping Kurt's hand. "I've noticed you. You have an incredible voice." _

"_I've noticed you noticing me." Kurt replied, blushing and wondering where his sudden boldness came from._

"_Do you want to maybe get out of here, find someplace quiet to talk?" Blaine asked, "It would be nice to actually have a conversation instead of trading meaningful glances." _

_Kurt giggled. "Lead the way!" _

_Blaine pulled Kurt away from the bonfire and into the dark._

Kurt blinked back into the present as the boat bumped into the shore. Other canoes were running aground on either side, and boys were spilling out and dragging them up onto the beach to unload supplies. Other canoes full of girls were doing the same off in the distance.

"Okay guys, let's work on tying knots first," shouted Adam, a counselor, stepping off of one of the other canoes. "Grab a length of rope out of that duffel bag and make a circle so you can watch the demonstration."

Kurt frowned and struggled with his rope. The fibers were rough on his hands, and he had no idea what he was doing. Nor did he want to know. What was the point of knowing how to tie that many knots anyway?

"Adam, if I may? Why are we being put through this pointless exercise? With all due respect, I don't see myself ever needing to tie fifteen different kinds of knots. On the other hand, I make marvelous pancakes, so why don't I go help the Birds get breakfast together instead?" Kurt was wearing his beauty-queen smile again.

"Kurt, the girls need to focus on learning their job, and we need to focus on this. What if you want to go hunting or fishing someday? Or maybe camping with your family? Knots can come in handy in those situations. It's not that hard. Keep trying."

Kurt grimaced. He had no intention of ever killing for sport, and he had no future plans to vacation anywhere that didn't have a spa.

_Kurt and Blaine sat under a tree, in the darkness beyond the edge of the group. Their conversation bounced back and forth readily between laughter and heavy topics like it was the most natural thing in the world._

"_So, Blaine, what brings you to Camp Reflection?" Kurt asked, trying to hide the caution in his voice._

"_My parents." Blaine shrugged, looking away._

_Kurt waited for him to elaborate, and after a brief silence followed up. "...So, just, your parents? What about you, do you believe in God?" Kurt did his best not to indicate the answer he was hoping for. The last thing he needed in his life was a preachy closet case, no matter how pretty his eyes were._

"_I don't know, I guess I don't have an opinion," Blaine said. "We went to church when I was a kid because it was expected. When I got older, they stopped trying so hard. All church has ever been to me is something you go to because you have to. What about you?"_

"_In my opinion," Kurt paused, tilting his chin thoughtfully and watching Blaine for his reaction, "God is about as likely to exist as a flattering photo of Donatella Versace. And half as interesting."_

"_Well, that I wasn't expecting," Blaine chuckled._

Building fires didn't go much better. Kurt tried rubbing two sticks together like in the movies, which didn't work even a little bit. They had other techniques, some of which might come in handy, Kurt had to admit, if he was someday dropped into a Hunger Games-esque deathmatch wilderness survival scenario. Kurt was able to daydream some more while fiddling with the kindling.

"_People can surprise you sometimes," Kurt said, "Right before you came over, I was talking to Cate about how she ended up here. It didn't make sense that someone who was so comfortable with herself would wind up at a camp like this. She actually believes in some of it, just not the anti-gay stuff."_

"_Why are you here, Kurt?" Blaine asked, with narrowed, inquisitive eyes. "All of that applies to you, except the believing part, apparently. Why would anyone want to try and change you?" _

_Kurt dropped his head to his hands. "I haven't really been talking about this." Kurt said. _

"_It's okay, you don't have to..." Blaine said quickly. _

"_No, it's fine, really," Kurt said. "I want to talk, now. With you."_

Breakfast was crunchy and late. After everything was cleaned and packed, they rowed back to camp, washed up and headed into the cafeteria. Blaine wasn't there, and Kurt remembered something about the Bears having a hike and picnic lunch. Kurt picked at his food, not even remotely hungry.

"_My mom passed away when I was little, and after that it was just my dad and me. He meant more to me than anything in the world, more than my life, more than my self. When he..." Kurt ducked his head again as the tears flowed freely down his face. Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt and pulled him up against his shoulder. "When I lost him, I had to go live with my aunt and uncle. My dad always accepted me completely, but my aunt and uncle had a harder time with it. I guess they thought this camp would help somehow."_

"_How long ago... did you, um, move?" Blaine asked. _

"_Six... s-seven, closer to seven weeks now really." Kurt replied. "I'm taking it one day at a time. I know my dad would want me to respect and obey my aunt and uncle, and I know this isn't easy on them either. I just need to suck it up and deal." _

"_But," Blaine countered, "From what you tell me, it sounds like your dad loved you just the way you are. Wouldn't he want you to be proud of that? To be yourself, to be happy?" _

"_Being happy isn't an option for me anymore." Kurt said, bitterly._

Kurt got up from the table and picked up his tray, brightening at the thought of possibly seeing Blaine during Worship. His words from last night still echoed in Kurt's ears.

"_You deserve to be happy, Kurt, and I think your dad would have wanted it that way. I know you're hurting badly right now. I can't even imagine... my relationship with my dad, we're nothing like that. But even if I can't fully understand how you're feeling, I'm here for you. Just remember that someday you will be happy again."_

**I love constructive criticism, so please keep the reviews coming if this story interests you! Reviewers get a preview of the next chapter (unless an update is imminent, or if you don't want a preview.)**


	10. Chapter 10

Kurt paused as he reached his usual seat in the chapel auditorium. Josh looked up at him. "Hey Kurt, what's up?"

"Hi Josh... I think I'm going to sit a little closer to the front today. I have had a hard time reading the overhead screens."

"Really?" Josh asked, "I never have a problem with it, you ought to get your eyes checked if it's that difficult for you."

"Yeah, sure, Josh, I'll make sure and do that. See you later!" Kurt waved and dashed off to claim a seat in the very last row before the Bear section.

When Blaine came up the aisle and saw Kurt, his eyes lit up and his grin threatened to crack his face in half. He sat down directly in front of Kurt and immediately twisted around over the seat back. "Hey you!" he said.

"Hey yourself," Kurt responded with his chin propped on his fist. "We were total 'missed connections' at breakfast and lunch. How did you sleep?" Kurt was surprising himself with the sudden intimacy he felt towards this boy, but after the previous night's conversations there weren't a lot of barriers left between them.

"I slept well, had a lot of dreams though," Blaine said.

"What did you dream about?" Kurt asked.

"Random, abstract stuff. The ocean, turquoise, blueberries, stormy skies. Stuff like that. How did you sleep? Any dreams?" Blaine asked.

"No, actually, but I suddenly have the oddest craving for caramel." Kurt blushed, unused to flirting and meaning it.

Blaine glanced up just in time to catch a disapproving look from Adam. He turned towards the front as Josiah took the stage and the lights went dark.

Kurt thought that sitting in Worship was torture before, but to be so close to Blaine and not be able to look into his eyes or talk to him was worse somehow. This boy was intoxicating and addicting, but Kurt didn't want to stop or even slow down. Glancing around the room, Kurt chose a moment when he didn't think any counselors were looking and hopped over the row into the empty seat beside Blaine.

"Welcome to Team Bear," Blaine whispered, pretending to watch Josiah but sneaking a glance at Kurt. The brief look sent electric sparks racing through Kurt. He knew he should follow Blaine's lead and pretend to be watching the service, but he couldn't help staring, to study the curves of Blaine's face.

Kurt's mind was swimming with thoughts of the boy sitting next to him, but he tried to clear his head and focus on what Josiah was saying. In his head it was a messy jumble of words, sounding pretty much the same as every other service he'd been to.

"God created male and female as two district sexes and gender and God's plan was for a man and woman to make a lifetime commitment and enjoy sexual relations within that bond," Josiah blathered.

In the next moment, Kurt felt something that made him abandon all efforts to listen to Josiah's blather. It started as a tickle on the edge of his pinky finger, which turned into the sensation of fingertips ghosting over the back of his hand. Kurt's heart stopped, his breathing stopped, and his mind went completely blank, except for one thought.

_Please, please, please, hold my hand._

Kurt gasped as Blaine's fingers curled around his own. Kurt squeezed Blaine's hand back gently. He felt a pang of anxiety at the thought that his hand might be sweaty. In turn, that thought made his hand break out in more sweat.

Blaine's fingers traced the lines of Kurt's hand, circling each knuckle, then rubbed his thumb along Kurt's palm. Kurt felt like he would never get tired of letting Blaine explore his hand.

For the first time, Kurt was unhappy that Worship was drawing to a close. When everyone stood up to sing, Blaine withdrew his hand. Kurt was still floating on a cloud, elated by Blaine's touch.

He barely noticed the first time Blaine elbowed him in the ribs, but the second time brought him back to earth. Amy was in the aisle, looking at them strangely.

"Kurt, why are you sitting with the Bears?" she asked.

"Sorry, Amy," Kurt replied, "The lights were causing a glare on the overhead and I was having a hard time reading the words, so I moved forward a row."

Amy looked skeptical, so Kurt decided to err on the side of 'laying it on thick.'

"I never went to church much before, so I don't know the lyrics... I really wanted to be able to sing along." Kurt tried to affect a look of melancholy, despite the joy still surging through his chest from holding hands with Blaine.

Amy knit her eyebrows together, but moved on without a reply.

Josiah announced that all campers were to report to their dorms for Quiet Reflection time for the hour before dinner. "Will I see you in the cafeteria?" Blaine asked. "Of course," Kurt responded.

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Kurt had a great deal to reflect upon . He began with his fantasy of Blaine shirtless and dripping wet from swimming in the lake, and went from there. The hour flew by.

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In the cafeteria, Kurt paid little attention to the food, as usual. He made a beeline for Blaine's table as soon as he passed the last station. Josh tried to flag him down, but he smiled and waved in feigned obliviousness without even slowing.

"You have such a beautiful voice," Kurt remarked, setting down his tray and pulling up a chair next to Blaine's. "Do you like to sing?"

"Actually, I'm in the glee club at my school, Dalton Academy. I'm kind of the lead soloist."

"The Warblers?" Kurt exclaimed, remembering them as potential competition though they had yet to compete against the all-boys school. "I'm in the glee club too! New Directions, at my school McKinley... well, it was my school, I guess I'll be transferring now."

Kurt had been trying not to think about the move to Lancaster and what it would mean for his Junior year. He wasn't sure how his friends would react, and it had been too easy to shut everyone out. Word had spread about what had happened to Burt, but Kurt was not ready to face the fact that the New Directions would take their next run at Nationals without him. Kurt screwed up his face, trying not to cry at the flood of memories. What was it about Blaine that brought everything to the surface and stripped away his defenses?

Worry streaked across Blaine's face at the sight of Kurt struggling not to break down. "So you like singing, too... how about this talent show on Friday? We should sing a duet together!"

Kurt raised his eyes to meet Blaine's warm hazel ones, and his face relaxed. "I would love that. Any ideas on what to sing? I guess we can't just sing a pop song, they probably want something religious."

They pitched ideas back and forth, but none of their suggestions seemed to fit. Somehow they switched to the topic of favorite movies, which occupied them for the rest of the meal.

After they had bussed their trays, Blaine suggested a walk down by the lake. Kurt readily agreed, and as soon as they were beyond the lights of the last building, he slipped his hand back into Blaine's. This time it was Kurt who explored every curve and crease of Blaine's hand, trying to memorize the details and the warmth of Blaine's touch. The two boys fell into a comfortable silence, hearts full of the thrill of being alone together.

Kurt was listening to the soft splash of the water upon the shore when Blaine's hand slowed him, and they came to a stop, Kurt twisting around to face Blaine at the water's edge. Blaine took both of Kurt's hands in his, and pulled them to his chest, his eyes fixed on Kurt's face.

"This week was supposed to really suck, but I'm so lucky to have met you, Kurt. I'm glad I didn't listen to the little voice in my head telling me to resist." Blaine cleared his throat and continued. "Maybe it's my father's influence, but my first instinct is always to deny myself what I want."

Kurt sucked in a breath and held it, processing the words. "...and what you want?" he said. The question hung in the air unanswered, as Blaine's eyes lingered on Kurt's face.

"Do you have any idea how beautiful you are in the moonlight? Your skin... you just... glow." Blaine brushed a thumb across Kurt's cheekbone, his voice hushed. Kurt blushed and cast his eyes downward. He was not used to thinking about himself as beautiful, and he certainly wasn't used to hearing someone else call him that.

"No, don't. I want to see your eyes." Blaine said, moving his thumb to Kurt's chin and tilting his face back up. Kurt reluctantly looked back at him, struggling with the intensity of the connection. It was almost too much.

Kurt's eyes shone with blue-gray fire in the dark. They were far past the edge of the camp, past the reach of lamps, prying eyes or judgmental thoughts.

Blaine wet his lips and moved closer, drawn in by the other boy's enigmatic gaze. He moved his hand to the nape of Kurt's neck and stroked his hair.

Kurt could feel Blaine's hot breath on his face, still pleasant even in the sweltering summer night. He was so close that Kurt was made dizzy just from being near him.

Time stood still for both boys as Blaine pulled Kurt into a searing kiss.


	11. Chapter 11

"Hello, Buenos Aires,

Get this, just look at me dressed up, somewhere to go.

We'll put on a show!"

Josh stepped into the room, his hair still wet from the shower, and gawked at his roommate. Kurt was swirling around the room, singing and picking out clothes with a huge smile on his face. He had what must be every stitch of clothing he had brought with him spread out on his bed.

"What's going on, Kurt?" Josh asked, trying to ignore the tightness in his chest. "Did you have Red Bull for breakfast?" _Or did something happen last night?_, he stopped himself from asking. He really didn't want to know.

Kurt giggled, and Josh thought he saw a slight blush tinge his cheeks. "Oh! I just was looking at the schedule, and I'm excited to get to work on our acts for the talent show. I love to perform. I still need to figure out a song, though."

"Actually, I have a skit I'm working on." Josh replied, "I've been meaning to ask you if you wanted to do it with me. I'm not much of a singer."

"Oh, that's alright," Kurt said, "Blaine and I are going to sing a duet together."

"Blaine, huh? Is that the guy you've been talking to so much lately?" Josh asked. The clench in his chest was getting worse. _I bet he's a great singer_, Josh thought to himself.

"That's right, you haven't met Blaine yet," Kurt said, "let's head down to the cafeteria and I'll introduce you two!"

_Perfect._

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After breakfast, the entire camp assembled in the chapel auditorium. Josiah had just finished giving instructions for the talent show, and Kurt was practically bouncing in his seat with eagerness to find Blaine and go practice.

"If you've already gotten together with some friends to work on something, you can go out and find some space to practice. There are lots of rooms in the main house, or you can go back to your dorm, or out on the grounds." Josiah said. "If you haven't yet found someone to work with, stay here and try and find someone else in the same boat."

Kurt tossed a sympathetic glance in Josh's direction before making a beeline for Blaine. He had tried to get them talking at breakfast, but the introductions hadn't gone so well. Josh was far from his usual friendly, open self, despite Blaine's efforts to bring up topics that might interest him. Maybe something was going on with Josh. Kurt made a mental note to ask him later.

Kurt and Blaine strolled casually across the grounds to the main house, heading inside to look for an empty room. In the privacy of the winding halls, Kurt dared to intertwine his fingers with Blaine's, pulling him along to check behind each door. Unfortunately, each of the rooms were either occupied or else not up to Kurt's standards for acoustics.

After a while, fed up with being led along from room to unsuitable room, Blaine took the initiative. "Let's try this hallway," he said, pointing with his free hand down a somewhat more narrow, darker hallway with different wallpaper. "This section looks like it doesn't get used much."

Blaine opened a door at the end of the hall, revealing a steep staircase descending into blackness.

Stepping off the staircase, Kurt switched on a lamp and looked around. The basement was a little damp and dusty, but it showed promise.

Kurt began running scales to test the acoustics. Blaine, meanwhile, was digging in a huge cardboard box in the corner. "Ohmigosh, Kurt, Lawn Darts! I'm pretty sure these are illegal now."

"Cut that out before you contract tetanus. We have work to do." Kurt teased.

"What do we have here... 'Mystery Date!'" Blaine pulled the box from a stack of old board games and gave a little hop of excitement. "This is vintage! We have to play this." Blaine opened the box and began sorting through the pieces. "Oh, look at his little bow tie!"

"You're adorable, but we still have to pick a song. Do you like to sing show tunes? Maybe something from 'Jesus Christ Superstar.'" Kurt snarked.

"Actually, that's perfect!" Blaine said, setting down the game pieces.

"Blaine, I was kidding. You can't be serious."

"No, really, the music is solid, the themes will keep the counselors happy, and it's a little bit subversive. You know, that show had its share of critics, it was even banned in South Africa for being irreligious."

"Let's just keep that in our back pocket, shall we? How about something top 40?" Kurt chirped, scrunching up his nose.

"Well, there's always that 90's song, what's it called, 'what if god was one of us?'" Blaine mused, rubbing the back of his neck.

"God, no..." Kurt replied, "... no pun intended. But that song is so overdone. It always seems to get trotted out whenever a TV show needs to show teenagers coming to some kind of understanding about their faith. I bet they get that song in the talent show every year."

"What about that one song with the piano, 'Angel' by Sarah McLachlan?" Blaine replied.

"Ugh!" Kurt said, "No offense, but that song always reminds me of those dead puppy commercials." Blaine's eyes popped open, but he did not respond. "Besides, I KNOW they get that one every year," Kurt said.

"Let's think about it, and just practice singing together for now," Blaine grinned, "I just want to sing with you and hear your voice some more." He reached out for Kurt's hands and pulled him closer, and began to sing.

"Made a wrong turn, Once or twice,

Dug my way out, Blood and fire.

Bad decisions, That's alright.

Welcome to my silly life."

Kurt watched Blaine in confusion and amazement. During the chorus, Kurt began to pick up the melody and joined in, their voices melding naturally. He amped up his efforts until, by the end of the song, they were belting out the chorus in perfect harmony. The song came to an end and he smiled at the hazel-eyed boy.

"Blaine, what is that song? I've never heard it before."

"Isn't it great?" Blaine replied, "It's going to be a huge hit. My uncle's a music producer and he sent me the demo. You should learn the main part. Your voice is just right for it and it's hard for me to sing that part and do the rapping at the same time."

"We can't sing that for the talent show, though. It has the F-word in it!"

"I guess you're right, Kurt, although you don't have to put those in. Let's try something else."

"Okay, I know just the song to try next."

Kurt swayed to a beat in his head and took up Blaine's hands in his again, pulling them into a loose dance around the room as he began to sing. Blaine quickly recognized the song, harmonizing and contributing Warbler-style "Ooooohs" to round out the music.

"Somehow I know that it'll all turn out.

You'll make me work so we can work to work it out.

And promise you kid I'll give so much more than I get.

I just haven't met you yet."

At the end, Kurt took advantage of the height difference between them to twirl Blaine around, ending with Blaine's back pressed up against his chest, arms wrapped around Blaine's waist. Kurt pressed his eyes shut and breathed in Blaine's scent, appreciating the nearness of him and wanting more than anything to try for a second kiss.

"I like dancing with you," Kurt murmured.

"Me too," Blaine said. He twisted himself around in Kurt's arms, nuzzling up against the taller boy.

As Kurt felt Blaine's long eyelashes brush his cheek, he opened his own eyes to take in the startling closeness of him. Blaine's breath was hot on his throat, a bit heavy from the effort of dancing. Kurt's lips tingled with want, and he was drawn in as if by a magnetic force to close the gap between them.

Blaine closed his eyes at the rush of Kurt's soft lips on his own, savoring the kiss while pressing their mouths together again and again. Blaine's fingers raked through Kurt's hair at the nape of his neck, drawing him in closer. Kurt parted his lips and Blaine took the invitation readily, diving his tongue inside, feeling a wet heat that sent thrills through both of their bodies.

After a few moments, Blaine pulled back with a happy sigh and untangled himself from Kurt's arms. "I have one more song to try, before we get carried away," he said. He took a deep breath to regain his poise before starting the song.

"Sometimes we fall down, can't get back up,

We're hiding behind skin that's too tough.

How come we don't say I love you enough

Till it's to late, it's not too late."

Blaine was singing at full volume with his eyes closed, pouring emotion into the song. He couldn't see the shadow of pain crossing Kurt's eyes.

"We only got 86,400 seconds in a day to  
Turn it all around or to throw it all away.  
We gotta tell them that we love them  
While we got the chance to say.  
Gotta live like we're dying."

As Blaine finished the first repeat of the chorus, he happened opened his eyes again. What he saw caused him to stop singing immediately and dart over to Kurt, placing his hands gently on Kurt's shoulders. "What's wrong? Oh Kurt, I'm so sorry. I'm such an idiot. Please stop crying."

Kurt choked out sobs, trying to catch his breath to speak. "It's not your fault. It's... just a little... soon, for songs about it being... too late." He ducked his head to Blaine's shoulder to cry a little longer, while Blaine held him tightly and rubbed his back.

"It doesn't help that that song's on the radio constantly these days... and back when..." Kurt sniffled. "I'm sorry, I need to cut this out. I'm wasting precious time we have together."

"Don't be silly, Kurt," Blaine said, "That was incredibly thoughtless of me and I hate to see you cry, but as long as I'm with you, it could never be a waste of time."

**A/N: I hope you guys like what I did here. That kiss is as explicit as this fic gets, so if you want smut I invite you to check out... every other single damned thing I write.**


	12. Chapter 12

Josh drummed his fingers against his knee. He hadn't seen Kurt since breakfast, and Worship was about to start. _He'd better not be late again,_ he thought. _I don't know how much more I can cover for him_. Jessica glanced in his direction, and Josh could tell she was taking note of the empty seat next to him. He still saved Kurt a seat at Worship and at meals, even though he never knew whether he would need it or not.

Josh's eyes wandered a few rows ahead, and took note of another empty seat in the Bears section. _It doesn't look like that Blaine kid is here either, _he thought. _Isn't THAT such a coincidence._

Before his mind could wander much father down that path, he was distracted by a noise to his left. Kurt scooted down the aisle and sat in the seat next to Josh, sounding slightly out of breath. Jessica was standing at the end of the row with her arms crossed, watching Kurt pointedly. _In another amazing coincidence, here comes Blaine_, Josh thought, as he observed the dark-haired boy take his seat in the next section. Despite his annoyance at the fact that they had obviously just come in together, deep down Josh was delighted to be sitting next to Kurt again.

Josiah took the stage. From the overhead projection, Josh recognized the same service from the previous year, addressing overcoming the temptations of homosexuality. If it was the same as last year, Josh knew, it would finish with Adam sharing his experiences as an "ex-gay."

"1 Corinthians 6:9: Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders."

Josh could sense tension rolling off of Kurt in waves. Kurt's fingernails dug into the armrest between their seats.

"Strive to have compassion for those struggling with homosexuality. Being tempted does not make them evil, but giving in to the temptation makes them sinners." It was uncomfortable to hear, but Josh had certainly heard worse from other pastors. He had been looking forward to this service. The refresher was coming at a time when he really needed it.

Josh glanced at Kurt, hoping that the service was having a positive effect on him. Kurt was sitting rigidly in his seat with his eyes closed. _Is he going to cry?, _Josh wondered. He made a mental note to let his roommate focus on the service for now, and he would offer to pray with him when they got back to their room that night.

"At the end of the day it's a personal journey. You can't serve God and be homosexual, it's not part of God's plan for you. We are all here for anyone who struggles with these issues."

When everyone stood up to sing at the end of Worship, Kurt stayed in his seat, eyes still closed. Josh gave him space. He was pleased that Kurt was so affected by the service. He worried about his roommate quite a bit considering that they hadn't known each other very long.

The boys walked back to their room for a scheduled hour of Quiet Reflection before dinner. Josh noticed Blaine subtly trying to catch Kurt's eye on the way out of the auditorium, but Kurt seemed too wrapped up in his emotions to notice. Josh didn't call Kurt's attention to it.

Josh closed the door behind him. Kurt had already flopped on his bed and was staring at the ceiling. Josh's eyes raked over Kurt's body stretched out on the bed, from his long legs, up to his slim hips and waist, chest and surprisingly broad shoulders, and finally to his face, tense with emotion but still achingly beautiful. _Cut that out,_ Josh scolded to himself, shaking his head and resolving to stare at the floor for a while.

"...Hey, Kurt? Are you doing okay? That service really seemed to affect you... Would you like to pray about it with me?"

"Pray about it? Why the hell would I want to do that?" Kurt asked, lifting his head. He clenched his jaw, dropping his head back to the pillow. "I'm sorry, Josh. I don't mean to be disrespectful to your faith. But no, thank you."

"But, Kurt, I can help you!" Josh said, "I... I've been there... I mean, you seemed like you were maybe having an epiphany in there, and I'd like to support your journey to the Lord."

Kurt laughed bitterly. "Really? That's what you thought was going on in there? You have GOT to be kidding me. Again, I'm sorry, Josh, but I don't share your beliefs and at times I have a hard time even respecting them. I wasn't having an epiphany, I was trying to keep from freaking out."

Josh stalked around the room, tears smarting in his eyes. "Why can't you just make an EFFORT, Kurt? Why do you have to just take the easy way out all of the time? You just do whatever you feel! It isn't fair!" His voice rose to a desperate wail at the end.

"I am making an effort! I'm making an effort not to make waves, to make it through this week without getting kicked out or in major trouble that would upset my aunt and uncle. I do not and will not believe in 'curing' homosexuality, and, newsflash, I do not and will not believe in 'the Lord,' either! And if you want to talk about what's fair, start with me being an orphan. Start with having my whole world fall to pieces before I'm halfway through high school, and then being shipped here against my will before my dad was cold in the ground. How's that for FAIR?"

"Kurt, I get it, really I do..." Josh whimpered, struggling with the tears starting to form in his eyes.

"No, Josh, I don't think you 'get it' at all. The worst part is that even though I succeeded in not storming right down to that stage and getting into a screaming match with Josiah and Adam about all of the BULLSHIT they were spewing, I still feel like I failed. I wasn't true to myself, and that's not how my dad raised me. I kind of hate myself right now, actually."

Josh slumped on his bed, tears streaming down his face. _You don't know the first thing about hating yourself_, he thought bitterly.

When he recovered himself after a moment, he spoke evenly. "I'm sorry, Kurt. I'm sorry that all of that happened to you, and I'm sorry that I just want to be your friend. But I can't. Not if you don't believe. When you're ready to turn to the Lord, I'll be here for you. Until then, it's not good for us to be friends."

"Fine by me." Kurt huffed, covering his face with his pillow. After a few minutes, he threw the pillow at the wall and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

Josh's sobs echoed through the dark room.

**A/N: So, what do you think of Josh? I'm nervous about delving into an OC, but we'll get back to the Klainebows soon.**


	13. Chapter 13

Kurt ran out of the dorm towards the lake, unable to contain his emotions or his tears any longer. He wanted, needed to find Blaine, but he knew that he was breaking enough rules being out of the dorm by himself during Quiet Reflection. He didn't know Blaine's room number, and wandering the dorms knocking on doors would be foolish.

The air was a bit cooler down by the lake, in a way that would ordinarily be refreshing on a summer's evening. However, the stress of the fight with Josh and the crying left Kurt feeling chilled and vulnerable. He wrapped his arms around himself and rubbed briskly to help warm and calm him.

He headed for a small group of trees at the far edge of the camp by the lake shore, sitting under the nearest one but just out of sight of prying eyes from the camp.

"No offense, but you've looked better. Not that you're my type anyway." Cate winked at Kurt, stepping out from behind a tree and sucking on a cigarette. "Are you okay?"

Kurt sniffled and let out a sigh, wiping his face with the back of his hand. "Yes... no... maybe. It's been a rough afternoon."

"Ain't it the truth," Cate said, stubbing out her cigarette on the ground.

"Can I ask you something?" Kurt said, turning his head up towards Cate. "Sure."

"You said before that you were sent here because you were caught with your secret girlfriend..." "That's right..." "So you're gay? Or bi?" Kurt peered up at the girl from his seat on the ground as she lit another cigarette.

"Gay. Definitely gay," Cate smirked. "And you go to church, too?" Kurt asked. "Yeah," she replied.

"It's just... how are you so calm after listening to that?" Kurt said, frowning.

"Well, I am on my second cigarette," Cate chuckled. "I wasn't quite so calm when I first got out of there. But the fact that other people interpret the Bible differently than I do doesn't particularly bother me, and just because they are more restrictive in their views and get all worked up about it doesn't mean that they're right and I'm wrong. Besides, the older I get and the more of this crap I get exposed to, the less inclined I am to want any part of it. If you want to know the truth, I'm really not sure what I believe right now. You don't have to be a Christian to be a good person, or vice versa, that much I know. Hell, look at that Jackie chick."

"Who?" Kurt asked distractedly, trying to absorb Cate's words.

"She's this girl in my group, and her room is on the same hall so we share showers. There's a strict five-minute shower rule because the hot water heaters are so ancient, you know? Anyway, the first day she was carrying on like a banshee, bugging everyone about not using too much hot water and acting like the five-minute shower rule was her own personal crusade. But that day and every day since, she spends at least fifteen minutes in there. She doesn't even try and hide it or look embarrassed about it."

Kurt glowered at the story, considering how his hair and skin routines had suffered under the draconian five-minute rule. "Bitch!"

Cate snorted at Kurt's reaction. "Anyway, if she can easily go by the term 'Christian' acting like that, but a friendly sodomite like yourself gets judged and condemned, then fuck 'em."

Cate smiled warmly at Kurt, and he smiled back. "I have to try harder to not let it bother me. I don't care what the tooth fairy thinks of my sexual orientation, so why should I care what God might think?"

"A fairy? I can't imagine she... or he.. would disapprove." Cate winked.

Kurt laughed. "Thanks for talking to me. I feel better now. I guess I can put up with a few ridiculous sermons. It would be much worse for someone who really believed in it all, and was gay..." Kurt trailed off, gazing at the ground. He suddenly really wanted to find Josh. "Let's go, it's almost time for dinner."

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Kurt stood by their usual table, tray in hand, eyes searching the room for Josh. "I'm sure he'll be here soon, Kurt, why don't you sit down and eat?" Blaine said, fork in hand. The boy was hungry, after all, and if Josh wanted to skip dinner that was up to him.

Kurt sat down and contemplated his plate with a slight pout. "I just feel bad about the way we left things."

Blaine scoffed in response. "From the sound of it, he was just as much as fault as you were, if not more, and I'm going with 'more.' You have more than enough to deal with right now, so don't beat yourself up for losing your cool. I'm sure that if you give him some space, he'll settle down and you can talk it out. Besides, you're roommates, so you'll have to see each other eventually."

"I know, I just feel like I was being kind of self-centered and insensitive." Kurt replied. "It didn't occur to me, in all of my drama, that he might be dealing with the same thing."

"It's not remotely the same," Blaine said, "you are comfortable with yourself and just want to live your life without anyone trying to change you. A very attractive trait, self-confidence." Kurt smiled in response to the compliment, and Blaine winked back before continuing. "Josh is a nice guy but he's so conflicted. He's full of self-loathing and he just wants to change who he fundamentally is. As long as he buys into what they're selling here, there's no helping him."

"That just makes it worse," said Kurt. "He feels his faith so deeply that there's no reasoning with him. It would be much easier if he didn't believe it all, or at least had some skepticism, like Cate."

"And if he didn't have such an obvious crush on his roommate." Blaine muttered, pushing food around his plate.

"WHAT did you say?" Kurt exclaimed, setting down his fork. Blaine didn't look up. "You can't be serious. You're imagining things."

"I enjoy a flight of fancy as much as the next guy, but I'm not imagining the way he looks at you. Especially when you aren't looking. Double especially when I'm with you." Blaine sighed, uncomfortable with being put on the spot.

"Come on, Blaine. I know you two didn't get along that well this morning at breakfast, but you should give him another chance."

"I'll be happy to give him another chance," Blaine replied, "but I noticed it even before I met him. He spends a lot of time during Worship watching us watch each other. Has he ever discouraged you from hanging out with me?"

"He just doesn't want me to get in trouble... Jessica has been keeping a close eye on me since I missed Morning Worship on Sunday." Kurt frowned and considered Blaine's arguments.

"Kurt, I'm not saying you shouldn't try to help him. I'm just saying that, one, I think he has a crush on you. Did I mention that he blushes an awful lot around you? Two, he's struggling. With his faith, his identity, his desires, probably with the messages he's heard his whole life. It's not easy. But if you of all people try so hard to help him come to terms with his sexuality, it might backfire on you. Be there for your friend but be careful."

"Blaine, am I detecting a hint of jealousy? Now, bear in mind, I have absolutely zero interest in Josh," Kurt said, his lips curving into a smile, "But to go from the only 'out' kid at my school to having two guys competing for me, that's kind of exciting." Kurt fluttered his eyelashes at Blaine.

"I'm done eating, how about you?" Blaine said, a devilish look in his enigmatic hazel eyes. "Let's take another one of our walks down by the lake. You can deal with Josh later."

**A/N: Yay, Cate! And yay Blaine, telling it like it is. But what do you think of Kurt regretting the fight with Josh so quickly? I'm shocked that more people aren't yelling about Josh's little "we can't be friends if you aren't a Believer" stunt. It sucks to be told that in real life. Even if what he really meant is "you're far too tempting to keep around, precious Kurt." Reviews? I am desperate to hear your thoughts. ;)**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Ian is a guest-star from We've Got Five Years by Gingerkid2010.**

Josh brushed his face across the pillow, turning his eyes to the light. A feeling of bliss and contentment filled him, until he woke up enough to remember the events of the previous day. The brutal argument with Kurt, skipping dinner and crying in his dorm before slipping into sleep. Kurt must have come in after that, quietly enough not to wake Josh. _I wonder how late he stayed out with Blaine this time,_ Josh thought, angst stabbing through his chest.

Josh rolled out of bed silently, letting Kurt sleep. He showered, dressed, and slipped out before his roommate woke up. He would find something, anything to occupy his time before breakfast. It was better than another emotional confrontation with Kurt.

Unfortunately for Josh, the daily schedule would bring he and Kurt back together in close proximity immediately after breakfast. Josh snuck a few items from the buffet and ate them in back of the building, but after stalling as long as he could, he reported to the main building for the morning's activity: "Dance Lessons – Teams Lion, Tiger, Butterfly."

The largest room on the ground floor was set up with a ring of chairs along the outside, and a stereo in the corner, with the center of the floor empty. Adam and Amy were teamed up to instruct the campers on basic steps, ballroom dance positions, and types of music.

Josh came in the back the room as Amy was demonstrating a box step. She turned on the music and told everyone to give it a try. The room filled with shuffling noises as the teenagers trudged in squares. Most of them looked completely awkward and hopeless even at the basic step, but Josh noticed that Kurt had no trouble at all with the lesson and even managed to make it look graceful. Kurt seemed to notice him looking, and Josh quickly looked back at his clumsy feet.

Adam and Amy moved on to demonstrating closed position. "Make sure you're a little bit off-center from your partner, because your feet need room, see?" Amy said, gesturing down between herself and Adam.

"Everyone, pair up!" Adam said. "There will be some leftover guys, so for now just try and hold your arms up correctly and walk through the steps. We'll switch off in a bit."

Josh glanced around the room, stalling. He was just as happy to start off with an invisible partner, and he hoped that the girls would each grab a boy quickly and he'd be off the hook. He didn't notice Kurt making a beeline for him.

"Josh, hi," Kurt said, smiling warmly but with concern in his eyes. "Um... would you like me to help you with this stuff? I've had a ton of ballroom dance lessons." Josh blinked at Kurt, tongue-tied. Kurt hesitated, then placed his left hand on Josh's right shoulder. "Here, stand up straight, relax your shoulders a little..."

Josh haltingly rested his fingers at Kurt's waist. He avoided Kurt's gaze, instead fixing his eyes on his shoulder in front of him. Josh blushed furiously as he noticed a dark red mark peeking out of the collar of Kurt's shirt.

"Hey, Kurt? Why don't I help Josh?" Amy interjected, taking his place. "You like like you've got this lesson under control, but if you want to help out, maybe one of the girls would appreciate it?" Kurt frowned, then nodded and turned to join a gaggle of girls who were hiding in the corner with folded arms.

"Okay everybody, switch partners," Amy said after a few minutes, stepping away from Josh." If you were dancing by yourself, make sure you get a chance to practice with a partner."

Adam walked up behind a small, dark haired boy who was struggling to lead the much taller Cate. "No floppy arms, Ian. You need to press into her hand in order to lead." As he was saying this, he placed his hand on Ian's left elbow.

Ian spun around and cradled his arm to his chest as if he had been burned. "Don't touch me!" He screamed, face red and eyes suddenly full of tears. "Don't touch me, don't touch me, don't!" He backed away from Adam until his back hit the wall, then slid to the floor and buried his face in his arms, sobbing.

Kurt ran over to Ian and knelt on the floor, making soothing noises. "Ian, Ian, look at me. You're fine, you're safe, no one's going to hurt you. Sweetie, look at me." When the small boy didn't look up, Kurt cautiously touched Ian's wrist, which was still covering his eyes. Ian flinched but didn't pull away completely, and after a few moments he wiped his eyes and peeked at Kurt. Kurt placed his hands on Ian's shoulders, guiding him up off the floor and out of the room.

Amy and Adam just let them go, and attempted to calm the rest of the campers and get them refocused on the lesson.

They gave up about ten minutes later, and dismissed the class with fifteen minutes yet to go before lunch. Josh walked slowly in the general direction of the cafeteria, wholly unsure of what to do with himself now that they were off-schedule.

"Josh, wait up!" Came a voice from behind him. Kurt appeared and fell into step by his side, smiling stiffly.

"Hi, Kurt," Josh said, his heart suddenly speeding up. "Is that Ian kid okay?" Kurt's forehead creased in worry.

"He's calm, at least," Kurt said, "I wouldn't say he's okay. He won't tell me what's wrong or why he reacted that way. I don't really know him that well. We met on the bus from Ohio."

"You really care about him though, don't you?" Josh said softly.

"He's just so young and fragile. It makes me want to just.. protect him from the world." Kurt sighed.

"He must be dealing with a lot. It's sweet of you to want to help him so badly." Josh replied.

Kurt looked into Josh's eyes, frowning slightly. "He's not the only one, " Kurt said. Josh wasn't prepared for Kurt's sincere and caring gaze, and he was briefly lost in blue-green before he was able to look away and respond.

"I know... look, Kurt, I'm sorry about yesterday. I get that you're kind of miserable being here and the last thing I want to do is make it worse."

Kurt sighed. "That's not what I meant, Josh. You're obviously dealing with a lot yourself. I'm sorry I got so upset with you. I mean, yeah, I'm dealing with some... things... I guess for teenagers we all have a lot of baggage. I just want you to know that if you are feeling, um, conflicted, and want to talk, I'm here for you."

Josh's eyes widened slightly and he took a step back. "I... uh... I have to go... it's time for lunch..."

Kurt threw up his hands. "Ugh, fine, Josh, be whoever you need to be at whatever speed you need to get there... just tell me one thing. Did you mean it when you said you couldn't be my friend if I don't believe in God? I would really like for us to be friends."

Josh's insides twisted up at the word "friends." A pang of longing rushed through his heart, followed quickly by a rush of self-loathing. He felt like he might explode if he was around Kurt another moment.

"I have to go." He turned and ran into the woods.

**Oh, just let the boys dance, Amy! What do you guys think?**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Warning, homophobia and strong language.**

After lunch, during which Kurt relayed to Blaine his less-than-successful attempt to apologize to Josh, the pair walked to Worship together.

Although Kurt was dreading it, Worship wasn't that bad. It was as if Josiah was giving them a breather after the intensity of the previous afternoon. Under the guise of preparing for the Friday talent show, Josiah led them in songs and cheers, and the energy in the room stayed bubbly and positive.

With Jessica evidently occupied elsewhere, Kurt had been able to take the seat next to Blaine. Even though he didn't believe in the words, the songs were lively and fun to sing. He loved singing with Blaine, and they amused each other with vocal runs and experimental harmonies that didn't fit at all with the songs but blended unobtrusively into the cacophony around them.

After a while, Kurt felt secure enough to hold Blaine's hand, an act which still sent thrills through his body as intense as the first time they touched.

Kurt looked away for a moment to check for prying counselors. He looked back to see Blaine making a face at someone across the aisle, curling his lip with a look in his eye that dared the person to say something. Kurt peered over and saw a girl from the Birds section looking at their entwined hands with disgust. After the non-verbal exchange with Blaine, she pursed her lips, folded her arms and looked back to Josiah's performance on stage.

"Who's that, Blaine?" Kurt whispered.

"That's Jackie. I don't know what her problem is. She brings new meaning to the term 'holier than thou.' I've had to put up with a lot of her crap so far, since the Bears and the Birds usually get paired up for activities. The other day at breakfast, she cut in line right in front of me and took the last three pancakes, and had the nerve to complain to the cafeteria worker that they ran out. She's also the one who got me busted on the first day." Blaine scrunched his face at the memory in a way that Kurt couldn't help but find adorable.

"You never did tell me that story," Kurt replied, "I want to hear about it later. I kind of have a thing for bad boys. If I'm going to be dating a troublemaker I want to know what you did."

Kurt considered what he had just said, blushing. He and Blaine had kissed and were spending all of their free time together, but they had not discussed what "they" were, if anything, and he suddenly felt self-conscious. He looked up at Blaine shyly, but when his eyes met Blaine's warm hazel ones, he felt better. Blaine squeezed Kurt's hand affectionately, and looked like he was about to say something sappy.

Kurt felt Josh's eyes burning into him, but refused to look up. He was determined to take Blaine's advice to let it go and give the other boy space, and besides, he had apologized and given Josh a chance to be friends. _You made your choice, and you chose prejudice, _Kurt thought, mentally addressing and dismissing the boy in the next section. _It would be nice if you could stop staring at me now, please and thank you._

Blaine seemed to sense that something was bothering Kurt, because he chose that moment to unexpectedly join back in with Josiah's sing-along, hitting a high note and pressing his eyebrows together in mock-intensity. Kurt beamed at Blaine, giggling and punching his arm lightly, the drama with Josh wiped from Kurt's mind.

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Worship let out early to give everyone time to practice for Friday night. Kurt and Blaine went down by the lake this time, as the weather was pleasant and more people had stayed inside the chapel auditorium to try out the stage.

Blaine had a song suggestion that seemed as though it might work out, but they had to play around with the arrangement. It wasn't written as a duet, but they thought they could make it work if Kurt sang the lead and Blaine sang each of the other parts. They were deep in concentration and engrossed in each others' company, so they didn't hear soft footsteps approaching from the direction of the camp.

"Ugh, you disgusting little queer. That's a girl's part. What are you doing? It makes my skin crawl to listen to that."Jackie stood with her arms crossed and a sneer twisting her face. "What up, Wayfarers." The last part was said along with a nod in Blaine's direction.

Kurt stopped in mid-verse and stared at Jackie. He had thought he was killing the part, but he remembered what Blaine had said about Jackie and immediately dismissed her comments in their entirety.

"Jackie, isn't it?" Kurt smiled with exaggerated sweetness, a cutting edge to his tone. "You're a girl, right? Well, when you think your singing can hold a candle to mine, you're welcome to challenge me to a diva-off. You might want to practice a while first, though... try about ten years. Somewhere far away. Until then, bitch, it's not a girl's part, it's MY part." Kurt turned his back to her with a dismissing wave of his hand. Only then did he notice Blaine's reaction.

Blaine had balled up his fists and was clenching his jaw. Kurt instantly lost his bravado and was terrified. Blaine had mentioned that he had had problems with his temper in the past, and the situation looked like it was about to get very bad. If either of them got in major trouble with the camp, it could ruin the precious few days they had left to spend together.

"Blaine, honey, it's okay," Kurt pleaded with a soothing touch to Blaine's bicep, standing between them and blocking his view of the smirking girl who was staring him down. "You know I don't care what she thinks of us. She's just a vapid, vacuous nonentity!"

Jackie was back to glaring at Kurt, now. "What does that mean? It sounds bad." She barked.

"Go google it, you thoroughly useless waste of oxygen!" Kurt spat. He hated to be so abrupt, but it did the trick and the girl stalked off.

Blaine seemed to be calming down. He put his hands on Kurt's waist and looked into his eyes. "That reference was obscure. I'm impressed."

"I'm good for more than _Wicked_, you know." Kurt teased, pleased at the change in Blaine's mood.

"I love a man who can quote Sondheim at me," Blaine said, pulling Kurt in for a kiss.

Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine's neck and melted into the kiss, loving the feeling of Blaine's chest pressed against his own. Finally, he got lightheaded and needed to take a break to breathe.

"We should practice," Blaine said, panting, his forehead resting lightly against Kurt's.

"I thought we were," Kurt teased, moving to kiss him again.

"Really, though," Blaine chuckled after several more minutes of frantically paced kissing, "we're kind of exposed out here. Besides there are some bugs we need to work out of that arrangement if that's our song."

"It certainly got a reaction," Kurt mused.

"That it did," Blaine replied. "I know you had some doubts about whether you wanted that to be the song for the talent show, though. Have you made up your mind?"

"Definitely." Kurt grinned, wickedly.

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After dinner, it was Kurt's turn to use the laundry room in the dorm basement. His mind was swimming with thoughts of Blaine, from goofing off in Worship together to their makeout session by the lake to their banter during lunch.

"_I'm glad my team hasn't had to take dance lessons yet," Blaine said. "The Warblers are always making me dance during my solos, but I'm a little self-conscious about it. I think I come off as a humongous goofball. People seem to like it but I think it's for the wrong reasons."_

"_Well, Mr. Warbler, if you're going to sell it that way then I think I need to see these moves." _

"_I'll show you mine if you show me yours," Blaine said with a wink._

Kurt smiled dreamily as he pictured Blaine's flirty wink, lit up in his mind like a camera flash. As he was climbing the steps, laundry basket in hand, he noticed an open door to a small office, with a phone, desk, and computer. Looking around to make sure he was alone, he ducked inside, unplugging the computer speakers and concealing them in the basket under his clothes, before quickly heading back up to his room.

**A/N: Isn't it sad that out of all of the OC's, Jackie is the one most inspired by a real person? And whatever could Kurt be up to, misbehaving so?**


	16. Chapter 16

When Kurt got back up to his room, Josh was waiting for him, his face tense. Kurt set down his laundry basket on his bed. "Kurt, can we talk?" Josh said.

"Always," Kurt replied, warily.

"I screwed up before. I do want to be friends with you. I don't hate you for not believing in God or anything like that... I'm just so scared. The people at my church say you shouldn't be real friends with nonbelievers because they will lead you into sin. Maybe that's true, in a way."

Josh winced as Kurt rolled his eyes and tossed his head.

"No, wait, hear me out. You're just so... free. Kurt, you're free and I'm, I'm not, and it scares me because you make it look so easy. You make it look okay."

"If you're saying what I think you're saying," Kurt said in a measured, biting tone, "I make it look okay because it IS okay."

"Not for me, it's not," Josh said, "Not now, maybe not ever. I don't know. I just know that I do want to be your friend and I'm sorry."

Kurt's face and tone softened. "All right, I accept your apology. I can see that you're trying." Kurt's face curved into a slight smile. "Actually, I'm kind of planning something for tonight. You should come along."

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Hundreds of tiny white lights twinkled around the basement, from strands that were tacked in loops across the ceiling beams and from others bunched in glass bottles and fishbowls arranged around the room. Vintage lamps glowed with sensually tinted light, draped with multicolored scarves and casting dramatic shadows. Faded crepe paper dangled from the ceiling in twists and curls. The purloined speakers stood on a chair in the corner, hooked up to Kurt's ipod. A pop song was playing at a low volume.

"You're a miracle worker, Kurt. This place looks amazing. How did you do it?" Blaine asked.

"I found some old boxes of holiday decorations, and I had to press every scarf in my suitcase into service, but a little imagination goes a long way." Kurt bragged. "I checked with Ian, but he didn't want to come. Did you tell Cate?"

"Yeah, I passed the word after you came and knocked on my door, but she'll be another minute. I think she had a girl she wanted to invite." Blaine grinned.

Josh started to hyperventilate. "This is so wrong, you guys. We're going to get in so much trouble."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "It'll be fine, Josh. None of us were seen sneaking out, this building's deserted at night, and there are no windows to the basement. Besides, it's not like we're stealing or smoking pot, we're just going to dance."

Cate tromped down the stairs, followed by a tall, blonde girl she introduced as Taylor. As Taylor turned to squeal over the decorations, Kurt shared a glance with Cate and raised an eyebrow. Cate chuckled and wrapped an arm around Taylor's waist, admiring the room with her.

Kurt picked up his ipod and flipped to the song he had in mind, an uptempo instrumental number. He looked up from the device to see Blaine hovering over his shoulder, deep hazel eyes locked on his.

"Do you want to dance?" Blaine asked.

"With you?" Kurt responded stupidly, swooning.

"No, with my father," Blaine quipped, grinning.

Kurt laughed. "I love a man who can quote Larson at me."

Kurt extended his hand to Blaine. Blaine took it and spun Kurt in to his chest, then spun him out again and they began to step together to the music. Cate took both of Taylor's hands in hers and attempted to lead her through a box step. Josh leaned awkwardly against a side table.

That song ended, and a slow song came on. Kurt pulled Blaine closer and they danced cheek to cheek, Blaine dropping a kiss on Kurt's shoulder. Cate put her hands on Taylor's waist, and the two swayed slightly off-beat while engrossed in each others' eyes. Josh picked at his nails.

"Come on, Josh, let's try some of the stuff we were working on earlier," Cate said as the slow song ended and another fast one came on. Taylor perched on a table and glowed with admiration for Cate, her crush all the more obvious in light of Cate's mediocre ballroom dancing skills.

Josh and Cate struggled with the steps until, halfway through the song, Cate had an idea. "Here, let me try something," she said, reversing their arm positions. Cate began to lead Josh through a basic salsa step, and somehow, Josh was able to keep up. After a few bars, it started to actually be fun for the two of them. When Cate guided Josh into an experimental twirl, he laughed openly. By the time the song drew to a close, he was beaming.

The next song had a strong, brooding beat, and Cate decided to try out a tango. Unfortunately, something was off, and they stumbled off-beat multiple times before giving up and bouncing around randomly to the end, giggling together the whole time. Kurt and Blaine watched them with pleasure, exchanging a look.

"Can I cut in?" Kurt interjected. "Here, I'll lead," he said, taking Josh's hand. Josh stared at his feet at first, but as the dance increased in complexity he had to look at Kurt in order to keep up. Kurt's friendly smile was disarming. Blaine watched the two with a tense smile, while leading Taylor through some simple steps.

_Even if he wasn't always with Blaine_, Josh thought, _he'd never be interested in me. We're just too different... he's everything I'm not._ However, he was having enough fun that it didn't occur to him to get mad at himself for feeling the way he did about Kurt.

The five teenagers took turns dancing together, trading partners and sitting out to watch. Finally, Kurt's ipod ran out of ballroom dance music and switched to his Broadway playlist. When Kurt heard the opening notes to "I'll Cover You," he threw his arms around Blaine's neck and tugged the dark-haired boy into the center of the room. They swayed around together, bodies pressed as close together as was possible with clothes on. Kurt sang the lyrics when they started, and Blaine joined in with Collins' part. Their voices melded together perfectly, Kurt's eyes shining at Blaine in the soft light.

"I think they meant it when they said you can't buy love

Now I know you can rent it

A new lease you are my love, on life

Be my life"

Josh ducked, unnoticed, out of the cozy scene and silently climbed the stairs.

**A/N: ****This is my very favorite chapter in the whole story! What do you guys think?**

**I still need help on my Sebklaine story, Territory, with song suggestions. If you ship a little Sebklaine, check it out and shoot me some ideas!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Warning: Homophobic slurs in this chapter.**

Tears stung Josh's eyes as he stalked out of the building. He wrapped his arms around himself to ward off the damp chill coming off the lake, and he hiked towards the dorms with his head down. It had been warm and cozy in the basement, and a feeling of joy and belonging had grown in his chest, but the farther he walked from the main building the more that feeling faded.

He opened the front door and crossed the entryway to the staircase, deep in thought, when a voice from the corner stilled his heart and froze him in his tracks.

"Hold it right there," Jessica said. "Where the hell have you been? You know it's against the rules to be out after lights-out."

Adrenaline surged through Josh's veins, and he somehow was able to think clearly and try to evade her question. "I'm very sorry, Jessica, it won't happen again, I'm going right to bed now." He resisted the urge to run up the stairs, steadying his walk and turning his back on the blonde's livid expression to climb the steps calmly.

"Don't think you're getting off that easy." Jessica said, halting Josh in his tracks three steps up the staircase. "I asked you a question, Josh. Where were you? What were you doing? Answer me, now!" She barked.

"D.. d... dancing," Josh blurted, his mind struggling to spin the truth into a more innocuous form. "In the basement. Just practicing what we learned earlier."

"'We?'" Jessica said, quirking an eyebrow. "Who's we? You were with that little faggot Kurt, weren't you?"

"He was helping me, he's a really good dancer," Josh squeaked desperately. "It's not the way you make it sound, at all." His voice gained a bitter edge on the last words.

"Was that Blaine boy there too?" Jessica said with a hard look at Josh. She had him on this point and she knew it. Josh looked at the floor. "I thought so. Those two have something going on, and you only wish you did. You're not the one I need to worry about."

Josh flushed and felt sick to his stomach. Hearing it out loud made it sound so much worse. The sudden pain in his chest twisted into anger. Anger at Blaine for being so perfect, and at Kurt for being so damned intriguing.

Anger at himself for being weak, forgetting his struggle long enough to enjoy himself for one night and suddenly making everything worse. It built up to a vicious hum in his head, like a swarm of insects.

"They're always sneaking off together, to the basement, or the lake." He spat. "They ditch meals and worship. It's like they think that they're in love or something. It's sick and they need help."

As soon as the words were off of his tongue he wanted to take them back, but it was too late. Jessica had a look of triumph on her face. "Go to bed, Josh," she smirked.

Josh took the steps two at a time, tears threatening to fall before he could make it to his room.

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Kurt and Blaine returned the computer speakers to the office together, then climbed the stairs to the main floor, still holding hands. After spending so much time together, the thought of breaking their connection and going to separate rooms for the entire night was almost physically painful.

As they turned around the end of the bannister, through the main entryway, Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist and pulled him in for one last, lingering kiss goodnight. Kurt thrilled at the press of Blaine's lips on his, opening his mouth to brush their tongues together with a soft moan.

Kurt regained his senses and pulled back. "Anyone could walk through that door," he said.

"Let 'em," Blaine chuckled, capturing Kurt's lips once again.

"Mmm... we should go, though." Kurt said, wriggling partially out of Blaine's grasp, then pausing when he noticed the serious look on Blaine's face. "What?"

"I want to take you out on a date, Kurt," Blaine said. "As much of a proper date as I can manage in this place." Kurt beamed in response.

"Are you going to give me an answer?" Blaine asked, quirking a triangular eyebrow.

Kurt bounced in his arms and giggled. "Yes, of course yes!"

"Tomorrow, then. I'm looking forward to it. Goodnight, Kurt." Blaine said, brushing his thumb against Kurt's cheekbone and pecking him on the lips before turning down the hall towards his own room.

Kurt practically floated up the stairs.

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Kurt hesitated as he turned the doorknob carefully. He hadn't noticed Josh leaving the basement until he was already gone, but he had a feeling he knew why it had happened and wasn't looking forward to the aftermath.

The room was silent. Maybe Josh was already asleep.

Kurt opened the door to see Josh lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling with his arms folded under his head. The only light in the room came from the small lamp on Josh's bedside table. Kurt stepped inside and shut the door gently behind him.

"Hi Josh," Kurt said quietly, taking off his jacket and hanging it up. He noticed that Josh looked like he'd been crying. Kurt decided not to push things.

Josh sighed. "Did you have a good time?"

"I did, yes," Kurt replied. "I thought you were having a good time too, but then you left."

"I wasn't feeling well," Josh said, his voice tinged with angst.

Kurt ignored the tone. "Well, you were missed. I was looking forward to teaching you more about Broadway. Perhaps another time." Kurt finished with a tight smile.

"You really like him, don't you?" Josh said.

Kurt sat on his bed, hands resting on his knees. He smiled to himself, looking off to the side. "I really, really do," he said after a pause, his smile spreading to fill his entire face.

"Are you two, like, a couple now?" Josh asked haltingly. Kurt blinked, feeling awkward at being asked this question, by Josh of all people, when he had been trying to avoid it in his own mind.

"I don't know," Kurt admitted. He decided to be honest with Josh, making an effort at this friendship thing they had agreed on. "He asked me out tonight, on a proper date. Whatever that means under the circumstances. I think he has something planned."

Josh covered his face with his hands for a long time. Kurt watched him, concerned and unable to gauge his reaction. Kurt went to the bathroom to change into pajamas, and when he came back Josh was lying on his side, facing the wall.

"Well, goodnight, Josh." Kurt said, switching off the bedside lamp. "We should get some rest, it's late. What's on the schedule for the morning?"

"Canoeing, with the Butterflies," Josh replied.

"Oh my god," Kurt muttered, "All that wind. I'm going to need to break into my emergency stash of hair products." He listened for Josh's reply, hoping that he lightened the mood in the room, even a little bit.

"Goodnight, Kurt." Josh replied, his tone inscrutable.

**A/N: *ducks crockery* Soooo... what do you think? Let's hear it!**


	18. Chapter 18

"Pull! Come on guys. We'll be out here all day if you don't put a little effort into it. Kurt! Your canoe is just going to keep going in circles if you can't keep up." Jessica shouted as she focused on Kurt's ineffective paddling.

Kurt huffed in response and tried again to smooth down his hair with a flick of his wrist. It was pointless out on the lake, but he was grumpy. Somehow he had been paired with a hulking neanderthal of a boy, someone who could out-row him even if he was actually trying.

That wasn't the biggest problem, however. After the late night, he had slept in for the first time all week. He had missed breakfast, and he was starving. More importantly, he hadn't had his morning dose of Blaine-time before having to go freaking canoeing, of all things.

"Hey, cut that out!" Jessica yelled, turning to Josh who was roughhousing with the other boy in his own canoe. The boat was rocking and threatened to tip. Jessica turned away from Kurt's path and paddled over to Josh's canoe to chastise him for several minutes.

It was almost as if he was trying to distract Jessica. Actually, Josh had been artificially friendly to Kurt all morning. Obsequious, even. _He must be feeling vulnerable after last night_, Kurt thought. _I can deal with it if it means he's going to try harder at just being 'friends'._ It was starting to get on his nerves, though.

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"...So then I told her, 'what if I don't want to calm down? There's nothing in the bible about standing up in canoes.' Her whole face got red, I thought she was going to jump out of her boat and swim over to get me." Josh babbled happily.

"Uh huh. Wow." Kurt said dully, staring off into the distance with his hands in his pockets.

Josh blinked at his reaction, then brightened again and kept talking. "She said if I kept it up I wouldn't be able to go to lunch. Do you think there will be something good today? I hope it isn't hot dogs, we've had hot dogs twice this week."

Kurt had plenty of complaints about the meals at camp, but Josh's words faded into the background as Kurt noticed Blaine walking across the grass towards him. Kurt jogged over and they caught each others' hands, their faces coming together so close that their foreheads were almost touching.

"Hi," Kurt said.

"Hey, you." Blaine responded.

Josh rolled his eyes. "Hi, Blaine. Kurt, lunch? Aren't you hungry? You missed breakfast."

"Sure, I guess. We'll come inside in just a second. Save us some seats, okay?" Kurt replied, his eyes not leaving Blaine's.

Josh sighed and trudged inside the cafeteria.

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Josiah took the stage, his face grave. "Today I was going to talk about the sin of vanity, but I've received some troubling news so I've made some changes. Tragedy has struck some of those amongst us."

Kurt listened with interest, noticing for the first time a group of campers sitting out of their sections, huddled together, crying and sharing hugs. He nudged Blaine and indicated the group, but Blaine just shrugged.

"The campers from Eleventh Baptist Church of Micanopy have lost one of their own. It was a boating accident, back home in Florida. One of their youth group members was killed, and another one is in the hospital and may not make it." The group of campers was sobbing loudly at this point.

Josiah waited for the sobbing to subside and continued. "Keep them in your thoughts and prayers. This event has reminded me that life is too short, too precious to take chances. There's a story I want to share with you all."

"There was a young man, a friend of my cousin, who called himself a Christian but wasn't really committed to it. He picked and choose what he liked from the bible, but he still wanted to have a good time. He liked to say that Jesus wouldn't have wanted him not to enjoy his life." Josiah smirked to himself at the last part. "So, one night he went out to the club, and caught the eye of another young man. They started to dance, and they had a few drinks."

Kurt did NOT like where this was going. He took Blaine's hand and squeezed, willing himself to stay calm.

"He woke up the next morning in his own bed, alone. He could barely remember asking the other guy back to his place. There was no trace of him in his apartment, except... when he turned on the light in the bathroom and saw the mirror. Written on the mirror in lipstick: "Welcome to the world of AIDS."

The auditorium was hushed, aside from another round of sobbing and a few 'amens'. "If it was two guys, where did the lipstick come from? I don't think that's how this story usually goes." Blaine whispered, smiling at Kurt.

His smile faded when he saw the anger mixed with anguish written across Kurt's face. A single tear rolled down his cheek. "He's just exploiting their pain. It's sick." Kurt gulped and continued. "I'm so glad to have met you, Blaine, but I really hate this place. I don't know how I'd make it here without you." Kurt sobbed lightly, drowned out by the wails from the group of campers from Micanopy.

Blaine wiped his tears away and shushed him. "That jackass isn't worth your tears. It's meaningless noise and in a few days we'll be out of here forever."

Kurt shoved his emotions down and dried his eyes as a new, uncomfortable thought surfaced. It was already Thursday afternoon and they had to go home on Saturday. Once Kurt was back under the disapproving eye of his aunt and uncle, and Blaine back at home or busy at school with all of his Warbler friends, would they be able to see each other? Could they be a couple? Would Blaine even want that, or was this just a summer fling to him?

Just a few days ago, Kurt desperately wanted the week to end, and now he could just about stay like this, forever. Kurt and Blaine against the world. Whatever the end of camp would mean for them, he wanted to treasure the moments they still had together. If nothing else, this summer had taught him that life was just too short to live it any other way.

"That's better," Blaine said, brushing Kurt's bangs back, unaware of the turn Kurt's thoughts had taken. "We're just going to have fun tonight. Meet me in our spot by the lake after dinner, for our date? Make sure you still have an appetite, by the way." Blaine grinned, batting his eyelashes slowly.

Kurt swooned. "Of course. I'm looking forward to it." Kurt replied, turning back to the stage after a lengthy stare into Blaine's eyes.

Josiah finished up a tacky prayer that further meshed the car accident and the urban legend. "Now, for anyone who hasn't accepted Jesus Christ as your personal savior, I invite you to come up to the stage and join me in prayer." Students began to stumble down the aisles. Josiah placed his hand on the forehead of the first crying girl to reach him as she knelt on the steps of the stage.

Kurt bit his lip as he watched the spectacle. _If I keep rolling my eyes so hard, they just might stick this way,_ he thought.

**A/N: Sorry this took so long, guys. This chapter gave me fits and I'm still very unsure about it. *hides* But hey, next up: the date!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Warning: Underage drinking.**

Kurt fussed with his hair in front of the mirror. It was still a little overly fluffed from the morning at the lake. _Why can't it just behave? Why now, when I'm trying to get ready for my first real date?_ Kurt thought, his pulse quickening.

"I guess you have plans?" Josh said, watching him primp. "You didn't eat much at dinner."

"I, um..." Kurt said, not wanting to make Josh uncomfortable.

"It's okay," Josh said. "Go ahead. I'll cover for you if something comes up."

Josh flung himself on his bed, a bible open in front of him. But Kurt could feel Josh's eyes on him as he continued to prepare for his date.

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Kurt walked softly along the gravel at the shore of the lake, up to the spot where he and Blaine had shared their first kiss. Blaine was already there, sitting up against a tree and looking at the moon. There was just enough light from the waning crescent moon for Kurt to make out the angles of his cheekbones and forehead, and he paused for a moment in admiration before approaching.

"Hey, you." Kurt whispered. The shining eyes met his. "Hi!" Blaine said, a little louder than he apparently meant to.

He crossed over to Kurt and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Sit down," he said in a hushed voice, gesturing to a blanket at the edge of the grass by the shore. "I brought us some treats to start off the night."

Blaine unwrapped a parcel of cookies and chocolates. "Where did you get this stuff?" Kurt exclaimed.

"Did you know that the cafeteria workers are all women?" Blaine said, "I'm not above doing a little flirting to get what I want. It turns out that women go nuts when I do this." Blaine demonstrated a doe-eyed, compelling gaze that suddenly made Kurt want to take off all of his clothes. "The counselors have a party the last day of camp after everyone leaves, and these came out of that stash. They're pretty good. Try one!"

As they ate, Blaine filled Kurt in on the story of his conflict with Jackie on the first day of camp. "So that's why you weren't at dinner that day," Kurt mused. "I was looking for you in the cafeteria."

"If I'd known that it would mean I had to wait an extra day to learn your name," Blaine responded, "I might have found the willpower not to call Jackie all those bad words. Maybe not, though." Blaine winked.

"She deserved it," Kurt said.

"Say, that reminds me," Blaine said. "I don't know how you'll feel about this, but I brought another treat for us." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of tiny bottles.

"Blaine!" Kurt exclaimed, "Is that alcohol? Where did you get that? We're only sixteen!"

"It's cotton candy vodka. And I'm fifteen, actually." Blaine said.

"Huh," Kurt responded. "I would've thought you'd be at least my age, if not older. Never mind that. Did you really bring alcohol... strange alcohol... to Jesus camp?"

"No!" Blaine said, "And if it bothers you, I'm fine with throwing these in the lake. I got them from Jackie's room, actually. I snuck in there to get my sunglasses back. I saw these and figured, why not? Who's she gonna tell about it when she finds out?"

"Well, in that case..." Kurt responded, grinning and taking a bottle.

The two boys walked along the far shore of the lake, each sipping from one of the airplane bottles and trying to compare the flavor to something found in nature. In the distance from the camp, no one could hear their escalating giggles as they swapped stories of glee club mishaps.

As they approached the camp again, they fell into silence. Blaine took Kurt's hand and led him to the main building, up the halls and down the staircase to the basement.

"Oh my god, Blaine!" Kurt squeaked. The room was glowing with light from clusters of candles on every surface. Some were in candlestick holders, and others were on plates or in colored tumblers. "How did you do all of this?"

Blaine beamed at his reaction. "I found some of the glassware down here in boxes. The rest is borrowed from the kitchen. Same way I got the cookies."

"And the candles?" Kurt asked. "From the chapel, of course." Blaine grinned.

"Blaine Anderson, you really are a bad boy." Kurt said, amazed and delighted.

"I'm really not, normally. Something about this place just makes me want to break rules." Blaine tugged on Kurt's waist and kissed him hungrily, parting Kurt's lips with his tongue and exploring his mouth. He wrapped his arms around Kurt's back and kissed him harder, their hips making contact as well.

Kurt was enjoying the kiss so much that he couldn't help but writhe up against Blaine ever so slightly. As he did so, he noticed that Blaine was enjoying the kiss even more than he was, judging but the hardness against Kurt's thigh. _Eep_, Kurt thought, _Too much too fast. It's true what they say about alcohol lowering your inhibitions._

Kurt broke out of the kiss, panting. He let out a nervous giggle as he pulled back from Blaine. Then, for the first time he noticed that there were more blankets and some cushions on the floor. Kurt eyed Blaine cautiously. "What exactly did you have planned for the evening, Blaine? You should know up front, I'm not that kind of boy." Kurt tried to sound like he was teasing, but a small part of him was afraid he might be right.

Blaine's eyes went wide. "Oh, no, nonono, that's not... Remember those old board games we found in the boxes of toys? I thought we would be more comfortable on the floor since I couldn't find a card table. I'm sorry, I keep messing things up. Look, see, it's true, I found The Game of Life."

Kurt smiled reassuringly, inwardly relieved. "I believe you, Blaine. I was just kidding." He sat down on the blankets. "Let's get it set up. I like that game. It's easy to make it gay marriage-friendly... just have two blue pieces in the front seat instead of one blue and one pink."

Blaine sat down and opened the box between them. Kurt's head was swimming from the alcohol as he looked at all of the complicated pieces to the game.

"Why is everything so different from the version I have at home? How old IS this edition?" Kurt asked, examining the box.

Blaine was trying to assemble the spinner but it kept falling apart. Kurt watched his arms move and his face scrunch up, adorable in the candlelight.

"You know what? Forget it." Kurt said, tossing the box aside and knocking the spinner out of Blaine's hands as he pounced.

"Mmmph... you taste like cotton candy." Blaine said.

Kurt sighed against Blaine's lips. "You take my breath away." He scooted forward until his body was completely on top of Blaine's, surprising himself with his own boldness. _I might as well enjoy him while I still have him,_ Kurt thought. _Who knows how much alone time we'll get tomorrow, and then on Saturday I have to say goodbye._ At that thought, an ache grew in Kurt's chest.

He moved to Blaine's neck, determined to leave a hickey under the collar of Blaine's shirt that would hopefully still be visible after Saturday. Blaine squirmed under him, pressing his fingers into the small of Kurt's back. Neither boy noticed the doorway at the top of the stairs opening, or footsteps carefully descending.

"You are so dead, Kurt Hummel," Jessica's voice rang out sharply in the quiet room.

**A/N: I hope it was worth the wait. Please leave a review and tell me what you think!**


	20. Chapter 20

Blaine pulled the blankets over his head to block out the sunlight coming through the window. His head was pounding and his throat was scratchy. He hadn't slept well, only losing consciousness after crying into his pillow for hours the night before. He finally rolled out of bed and trudged to the shower.

He turned the tap on, leaving it so hot that he could barely stand it. The sting on his skin dulled the pain in his chest. As the water streamed over his head, he thought back to the previous night and tried not to start crying again.

"_Get out of here, Curly. You're not the one I'm after. Consider this a warning." Jessica snarled, digging her fingernails into Kurt's arm._

"_Blaine, go. I'll be fine." Kurt said firmly, his chin lifted in defiance. Desperation shone in his eyes._

"_Kurt..." Blaine choked, "I can't just leave you..." Every fiber of his being was screaming at him to protect Kurt, to save him, but Kurt didn't seem to want to be saved._

"_GO. Now." Kurt snapped. Blaine turned and ran up the stairs, tears streaming down his face. He didn't stop running until he reached his room._

Blaine came out of the shower, wrapped in a towel. His roommate was already at breakfast, and Blaine wanted to hurry up and get ready so that he could look for Kurt. He quickly checked the schedule for the morning's activity, and saw the last thing he wanted to see: "Dance Lessons – Teams Bear, Bird."

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Blaine winced as the heavyset girl opposite him stepped on his foot for the third time. He stumbled and grit his teeth, looking at the ceiling in frustration. He took a deep breath, clenching and unclenching his jaw again.

"Let's try again, Amanda," he said. "Pay attention. I'll show you where we're going with the pressure from my hands. If I'm travelling forward, you need to step backward."

He wasn't getting anything out of this lesson, except heartache. Kurt wasn't anywhere to be found in the cafeteria at breakfast time, and Blaine was worried sick. All he wanted was to skip ahead until lunchtime, when he could look for Kurt again. Blaine had no idea what kind of punishment the counselors would manage, but he knew that Kurt was in a fragile state.

Blaine was in agony. The memory of Kurt's wide, blue eyes brimming with tears was fresh in his mind, and he couldn't stand the thought of it happening ever again. He wanted to be able to protect Kurt from any more heartache, and he was simply powerless over the situation. He mentally kicked himself for leaving the night before, even though Kurt had been desperate for him to do so.

The next song to come on was a popular waltz tune that Kurt had played for them the other night at their impromptu dance party. The memories came flooding back to Blaine, and his eyes smarted with fresh tears as he moved through the steps.

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Kurt was locked in his room. He had endured hours of lecturing the night before after Jessica had caught him and brought him back to the main building. He was glad that he'd had the presence of mind to toss the empty airplane bottles in the lake on the way when Jessica wasn't looking, or it might have been a lot worse.

Then, first thing in the morning, Jessica had brought him to Wendy McAvoy. The high-strung fuss she had made over the events of the previous night had been difficult to endure from the volume and pitch alone. And, of course, she had called home and reported the incident. Kurt was trying hard not to think about that just yet.

After that, they brought him to the chapel for one-on-one "counseling" with Josiah. That had been worst of all, because Josiah wasn't content with Kurt sitting still with folded hands, going to his place of numbness and faking rapt attention. Josiah kept asking questions and wanting Kurt's input, and it was a lot harder to come up with something neutral to say that still satisfied Josiah, rather than bottling up all of his snark.

That was pretty much all of the punishment they could come up with. He was forbidden to see Blaine, of course, but he had no intention of obeying that rule. Camp was almost over, and he was determined to steal away as many precious moments as possible with his new crush, the boy he was rapidly falling for. The problem was, they were watching him closely and there hadn't been the slightest opportunity to sneak out.

Kurt heard the sound of a key turning in the lock, and Josh walked through the door carrying two peanut butter sandwiches. "They wanted me to just bring you lunch, but I was worried about you so I had them make me one, too," Josh said.

"Thanks, but I'll be all right," Kurt said, taking the sandwich. "I'm just glad that they didn't ship me home early."

"What, is this place rubbing off on you?" Josh asked, with a sad smile.

Kurt chuckled grimly. "No, but it would really piss off my aunt and uncle if I got kicked out of Jesus camp. I don't want any trouble at home."

"Also, you wouldn't get to see Blaine any more if they kicked you out," Josh said, studying Kurt's face carefully.

"What's it to you?" Kurt said sharply, eliciting a wince from Josh.

"I didn't mean it like that," Josh said, "I know how happy he makes you. You haven't exactly opened up to me this week, but I can tell that you're hurting. And I can tell that it gets better when you're with him. The gay thing... it really doesn't bother me anymore."

Kurt's shoulders collapsed and he choked back a sob. The flood of pain turned to rage as Josh's words sunk in. "How can you SAY that?" he shrieked. "You're the one who turned us in! Go ahead and try to deny it. I could tell by the way you were acting when I got back the other night."

Josh's eyes grew wide as saucers with horror at Kurt's outburst. In an instant, tears were pouring down his face. "I'm not going to deny it. But it's not what you think. Jessica caught me sneaking back. She didn't even care about catching me. She just wanted to get to you."

Kurt's face softened as he considered this new information. Josh wiped his eyes and continued.

"Kurt, I'm tired of lying, to myself and to you. That wasn't the whole truth. There was a small part of me that wanted to get you caught. I was jealous, jealous of you, how free you are..." Josh rested his elbows on his knees and ducked his head low, cradling his face in his hands.

"That's not all, is it, Josh?" Kurt said softly.

"N..n...no," Josh said in a tiny voice. "I was jealous of Blaine too. I still am."

"I know," Kurt said, quickly and gently, "I'm sorry, but Blaine and I..."

"Stop, you don't have to explain," Josh said. "You and Blaine are perfect together. I get it. I meant what I said about wanting for us to be friends." Josh paused, wrestling with himself, before choking back another sob and continuing. "You've already done so much for me. You have no idea. I'm so sorry for everything. I hope someday I can be as open and caring as you are. Right now, I still have so much hate for myself and what I am. It's all I've ever known."

Kurt's heart broke for the boy, who suddenly looked so vulnerable. "I know a song that might make you feel better," Kurt said. "It's about civil rights, but... well, this isn't the time to get all political, but you and I are caught up in the middle of our generation's own civil rights struggle, so it kind of fits."

Josh sniffled and looked up to Kurt expectantly. Kurt stood near the window, gazing out at the lake in the distance, and began to sing.

"Blackbird singing in the dead of night,

Take these broken wings and learn to fly.

All your life

You were only waiting for this moment to arise."

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Blaine paced anxiously around the grounds, missing Kurt at lunch and worrying even more. He hadn't been at any meals or activities. The only place he could be was in his room, but the counselors were circling like vultures and Blaine didn't dare get close enough to try the door.

As he rounded the corner of the dorm building, a beautiful sound, carried on the breeze, stopped him in his tracks.

He knew that voice. The ache in his heart eased. Kurt was okay.

**A/N: We're getting close to the end, here, guys. What do you think of this chapter?**


	21. Chapter 21

Kurt sat in the front row of the chapel auditorium, a tense Jessica by his side. She had been watching him like a hawk for every spare moment of the day.

Josiah took the stage and picked up the microphone.

"Let's pray together, guys, and then we'll jump right into the show." Josiah led the auditorium in a prayer for everyone to perform to the best of their ability, and to use their talents to honor God. He nodded to Amy, who stepped onto the stage. Josiah handed off the microphone to her.

"Welcome to my favorite part of Camp Reflection, ladies and gentlemen!" Amy chirped, with a toothy smile. "The Friday Night Talent Show! I know you guys have been working hard, and I have the set list here. When your group is called up, please check with the stage manager to make sure they have your spotlight needs and sheet music down, and get ready to go on as soon as the previous group exits. We'll have an intermission halfway through, with punch and cookies out front. First up is Jackie, with a song, followed by Sean and James with a skit. Let's give them a hand!"

Overly enthusiastic applause rang out through the excited audience, and the stage fell dark before Jackie stepped out into a single spotlight. Kurt briefly wondered if he could sneak away in the blackness to sit next to Blaine, but ultimately decided that it was futile with Jessica right there.

He sighed and settled in to amuse himself with his own inner monologue. _What is it about these 'Christian Rock' songs? It's like the music is engineered to make you sound like you're about to burst into shining Jesus tears at any minute when you sing._

"Over the mountains and the sea,

Your river runs with love for me,

and I will open up my heart

and let the Healer set me free."

_Speaking of tears..._ Kurt thought, taken aback by the travesty unfolding on the stage. _Apparently she's not any better at singing than she is at higher order thinking._

He clapped politely for Jackie, as well as for the skit that followed, featuring two pasty-faced boys woodenly depicting What Jesus Would Do if he were offered marijuana at a party.

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Kurt stared blankly into space. Exactly how many campers were there at Camp Reflection? It felt like time itself had ground to a halt.

"I could sing of Your love forever,

I could sing of Your love forever,

I could sing of Your love forever,

I could sing of Your love forever."

_Forever, forever, forever, forever, forever_, Kurt's mind screamed. _I could suffer in here forever_.

Suddenly, Kurt's ears perked up to the sounds of a conversation behind him, taking place between Amy and Adam. _I'm sure it's a sin to eavesdrop_, _but it's better than listening to a third rendition of this cheesy song._

"I keep telling them, it would be much better if people had to commit to their song in advance. First person to sign up for 'I could sing of your love forever' gets it, end of discussion," Amy said.

"You know that there just isn't time to put that much preparation into the show," Adam replied. "Besides, there are worse songs..." He trailed off and applauded as the tall, Asian boy took a bow and left the stage. Ashley took the microphone and stood in the center of the stage.

"If God had a name, what would it be

And would you call it to his face

If you were faced with him in all his glory..."

"You were saying?" Amy groaned.

"It could still be worse," Adam mused. "Remember two years ago, we had three different versions of this song. And one of them was nu-metal style."

The two clapped politely, and Kurt joined in, amused by a glimpse of real personality behind the shiny, perfect facades the two counselors normally exhibited. Ashley finished her song, and an older girl took the stage. The spotlight followed her to a piano in the corner.

As she sat down and played the opening chords of "Angel", Amy and Adam groaned in unison. "Anything but the dead puppy song!" they cried.

After enduring the performance, clapping over the sound of crying that echoed from several places in the audience, Kurt was pleased to see Cate take the stage, a guitar strapped across her chest. She had insisted that singing wasn't for her, but she must have changed her mind. An uncomfortable murmur spread through the audience as she began to play, but Kurt's smile overtook his face and he sat up straight in his seat. He clapped and cheered as she started to sing.

"Imagine there's no heaven

It's easy if you try

No hell below us

Above us only sky"

After the song ended, Josiah stood up in the corner of the room with the other microphone. "Thank you, Cate. Next up are the Holy Beatz, and after that is Team Klaine, followed by intermission. I bet you're excited about having cookies and punch, I know I am!"

Kurt peered at Jessica, who was slumped in her seat and starting to snore, despite the enthusiastic Christian rap performance currently taking place. He stood up and walked to the edge of the stage in the dark, ducking behind the curtain.

Immediately on the other side, he bumped into someone's chest. He looked into eyes that shone golden still, even in the near-darkness. He threw his arms around Blaine's neck and kissed him desperately, as if they had been parted for years. Blaine was confused for a moment, then cuddled Kurt into his chest, arms around Kurt's waist. He parted his lips and deepened the kiss, gasping against Kurt's mouth like he was finally breathing clear air after a dangerously long time underwater. He didn't want to move, didn't want to stop if it meant that someone might separate them again.

"Thank you, the Holy Beatz! Team Klaine, hurry up, you're on!" Josiah announced from the front row.

The boys untangled their arms and rushed towards the stage, Kurt smoothing his hair and Blaine straightening his bow tie. Neither boy noticed the figure stepping into their path until it was too late.

"Like I'd let you two sing together. I don't even wanna know what you had planned," Jessica said, blocking their access to the stage.

Kurt balled up his fists, then splayed out his fingers, trying to contain his anger. "You're ridiculous, did you know that? First we're told we have to perform at the talent show, now you're going to ban us from singing together because we're both boys?" Kurt laughed mirthlessly in her face.

"No, I'm going to keep you from singing together because you're both little faggots, and it's gross," Jessica sneered.

Blaine placed his hand on Kurt's bicep in an effort to reign him in, but Kurt shrugged off the touch. "You're such a hypocrite, did you know that?" he snapped. "You wear your religion like a badge of pride, but it's supposed to be one of love, not of hate! What exactly is so twisted and broken inside of you, that all you focus on is judging other people part?"

Jessica blinked in bovine fashion, ignoring the cutting words. "Of course I judge you, you two are disgusting."

"Well, you're entitled to your opinion. It's wrong, but you're entitled to it. And guess what? I'm not going to hide, and I'm not going to go away. I'm done trying to get along with people like you, when you're just not fucking worth it! And now I'm going to go out there and sing a song with Blaine, and after that we're going to leave this miserable camp and live out the rest of our happy lives as out and proud homosexuals, and you can just deal with it!"

Kurt's chest was heaving and tears were starting to form in his eyes from the sheer emotion of the words. Jessica blocked their path still, if anything looking more stubborn and hateful than before Kurt's tirade.

"Last call for Team Klaine, come on guys, get up here!" came Josiah's voice from the stage.

Blaine turned to Kurt and wrapped his arms around his neck, pulling himself up and against the taller boy. He kissed him hard, his tongue diving between Kurt's teeth immediately. Kurt pulled Blaine close, and was rewarded with a subtle grind of Blaine's crotch against his thigh.

The sudden rush of affection was almost enough to make Kurt forget that they had an ironic and slightly ridiculous song to sing. Jessica made a disgusted noise and sprung back reflexively from the boys. As soon as she was out of their way, Blaine pulled himself out of Kurt's grasp and dragged him towards the stage. "And Kurt's not little!" he called back to her, as they pushed past the curtains.

Blaine jumped down to take the second microphone from Josiah, while Kurt grabbed the first microphone from its stand in the center of the stage. The music started up immediately and they began to sing.

"Try not to get worried, try not to turn on to

Problems that upset you, oh.

Don't you know

Everything's alright, yes, everything's fine."

Kurt sang the part of Mary Magdalene in a clear, strong voice. He decided that Blaine had been right about the song, and the range of reactions was interesting. Most of the campers looked impressed, and Amy and Adam looked delighted. _Probably ecstatic to hear something different,_ Kurt mused. Even better, a substantial portion of the audience looked upset. It was somewhat subversive, for a boy to sing the part of a female prostitute.

Blaine joined in with the soft, backing part of the Apostles' Wives, then stepped to Kurt's left and began the part of Judas. When that verse was done, he stepped through the darkness to Kurt's right as Kurt sang the next Mary Magdalene section, then Blaine began the part of Jesus.

"Surely you're not saying we have the resources

To save the poor from their lot?

There will be poor always, pathetically struggling.

Look at the good things you've got.

Think while you still have me!

Move while you still see me!

You'll be lost, and you'll be sorry when I'm gone."

_He absolutely killed that last note, _Kurt thought, beaming at his duet partner. Kurt spotted Cate in the Butterfly section, grinning at the two boys and cheering. Kurt and Blaine finished the song, going back and forth with their alternating parts.

"Close your eyes, close your eyes, and relax

Think of nothing tonight."

"Everything's alright, yes, everything's alright, yes."

The boys joined hands and took a bow as the spotlights extinguished. Blaine snatched Kurt's microphone away, and set them both down. He took Kurt's hand again and they darted out the back door.

**A/N: Struck down by the power of Klisses! Did you guys like the talent show? Only one more chapter after this, and then the epilogue. Please leave me a review if you're enjoying the story. They mean a lot to me.**


	22. Chapter 22

Kurt sat on the front porch of the main building, his bag by his side. He watched the students mill about, looking for their assigned buses. Kurt warily eyed the Ohio bus at the far end of the parking lot, stalling as long as possible.

He and Blaine ran from the auditorium after their song, stealing away to the woods and cuddling there together, watching the moon shining on the lake one last time. When Kurt couldn't keep his eyes open anymore, Blaine had walked him back to his dorm room. They kissed desperately at Kurt's doorstep, still not saying goodbye even as the door closed between them. But Kurt knew that they couldn't put off the words forever. Unless, of course, he never saw Blaine again. Which was looking more and more likely.

_Maybe he doesn't want a big goodbye scene, either. Maybe he doesn't want to answer questions about "us." Maybe I was just a summer fling and he doesn't want there to be an "us" after he gets on his bus. Maybe..._

Kurt's dark thoughts were interrupted by approaching steps. Cate and Josh walked up to him and sat on either side of Kurt on the porch.

"It's been real, Kurt," Cate said with a grin.

"So, Ms. Cate," Kurt smiled back, temporarily abandoning his self-pity storm, "Which of the lovely ladies you courted during the week is going to become your special someone?"

"Ummm... none of the above?" Cate replied, waggling her eyebrows. "In all seriousness, I'm going to try and get Sheena back. Though it will be difficult, with the distance and all."

"Distance?" Kurt asked, "I thought you two were best friends... don't you go to the same school?"

"We did," Cate replied, beaming with excitement. "But I've been calling my dad this week, and... my mom's agreed to let me go live with him! I'll be starting the school year at a different school, but it'll be worth it. He and I can have a real relationship again. Maybe I can work things out with my mom down the road, too."

"Sometimes that happens with teens and their parents," Kurt said thoughtfully. "Hopefully she'll be able to come to terms with some things and accept you for who you are. If not, it's her loss. Screw her. But anyway, I'm really happy for you, Cate." He hugged her tightly, then they pulled apart and swapped phones to program in their phone numbers.

Cate got up from the porch. "I'm getting on the bus now... I'll see you in a bit, Josh," She said with a knowing look.

Kurt turned to Josh, one eyebrow raised. "She's from Pittsburgh, I'm from Delaware," he responded. "We'll be on the same bus, at least until we drop her off. I'd better get going..." Josh made no move to leave, rubbing the back of his neck and squinting at the sunlight reflecting off of the buses.

"Josh, I hope... I hope you can..." Kurt started.

"I know, Kurt," Josh interrupted, "I'll do my best, okay? I'm just not sure, still. I'll try."

"That's not what I meant," Kurt said, shaking his head. "I hope you can be happy. If that means, well, to be blunt, drinking the kool-aid," Kurt giggled at Josh's puzzled expression. "...then that's fine, but either way I wish you happiness. If you ever need to talk, just call me. Here." He traded numbers with Josh as well.

"Aw, Kurt," Josh smiled again, the open, sweet smile that had comforted Kurt on the very first day of camp. He took Kurt's hand and pulled him off of the porch, hugging him tight enough that it was hard for Kurt to breathe. Kurt stiffened his shoulders at first, then relaxed into the hug. Perhaps Josh still had some work to do on his issues, but the tension between them was gone.

With a last squeeze, Josh let go of Kurt and turned towards the bus, picking up his backpack as he went. "Say bye to Blaine for me, too!" he shouted over his shoulder, not looking to see Kurt's reaction.

Kurt slumped back down onto the porch and checked the time. _Looks like I'm running out of time for goodbyes, _he thought, screwing up his face to keep from crying. He waited five more minutes, the camp growing more and more deserted. Finally, he hopped off the porch, picked up his suitcase, and slowly walked in the direction of the bus.

Kurt was so wrapped up in his misery that he barely registered the boy walking by his side. He blinked as he noticed a tiny frame topped with dark hair, and the startlingly blue eyes peering up at him. "Oh, hey, Ian," he said.

"You're a really good singer, Kurt," Ian whispered. "I wish I could sing as good as you someday. Did you hear me sing? I tried my best."

"Um, I'm sorry, Ian, I left after Intermission," Kurt said, a pang of guilt striking his heart as the small boy's face fell. "But I'm sure you were great. Maybe we can sing together on the bus later? Just give me a little time, okay? I'm feeling kind of sad right now."

Ian hesitated, then took Kurt's hand in his smaller one as they walked to the bus together, only dropping it when they reached their seats.

Kurt slumped in the front row, leaning his head against the window again. He would have to get over his dramatics at some point, but for now he would allow himself to wallow in just a little bit of misery. He put his headphones in and closed his eyes as the bus began to move.

"Kurt?"

The question barely registered over the music, but Kurt looked up when a hand touched his shoulder. His eyes went wide and he pulled out his earbuds with one hand, clasping the other one tightly over the hand touching his shoulder.

"Blaine? I thought you were gone!" Kurt squealed, jumping up and throwing himself into Blaine's arms. "Where have you been?"

"I was saving us seats at the back of the bus. I like sitting in the back. I thought we'd have more privacy." Blaine replied, tugging Kurt towards the back seat. "You know I live in Westerville. Where else did you expect me to be, but on the bus to Ohio?"

Kurt's eyes were shining, as wide as saucers. "I honestly didn't think about it. It just felt like the universe was trying to keep us apart all week long. I keep expecting the worst."

"All that's behind us now," Blaine said, sitting on the seat and pulling Kurt into his lap, nuzzling into his neck. "We made it."

"Yeah," Kurt said, taking Blaine's hand and cradling it over his heart. "Yeah, we did."

**A/N: This is the last chapter before the epilogue. I hope you enjoyed it. It has been a great experience sharing this story with you, but I'll write a properly sappy goodbye note after the epilogue. In the meantime, I'd love to hear what you thought about this chapter!**


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